War, Peace, and other Galactic Customs
by The Almighty Afroduck
Summary: After a long, terrible war, the Federation of Sovereign Empires forms as the product of the alliance created early in the Great War between the Covenant Separatists and the UNSC. Time passes as they progress greatly, eventually discovering the existence of other galactic governments. The events that will follow will change the course of the galaxy in more ways than one. PART- 2
1. Chapter 1

**Copyrights: 343 Industries owns Halo, Bioware owns Mass Effect**

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone, I am The Almighty Afroduck (All Hail), and this is my first story. After reading a large amount of great fanfics I decided to write one myself, using certain elements and ideas gained from other great authors, to create my own universe and timeline. At first, you will be noting how I will be especially kind to many main characters and kill a lot less people to the point of being unnatural. It is best for you to know at once that it is not without good reason, and you will understand _much_ later on in the LONG story to come. Without further ado, here is the first chapter.**

**PART 1- PROLOGUE**

**A Different Beginning**

**February 3rd, 2525**: Humanity first discovers the Covenant when the ship Minor Transgression met with a Kig-Yar ship due to an incident with its Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. The ship was attacked, which was reported to Harvest. There, a trap was set up between the AI, Sif, and an ONI spook, assuming that they were Insurrectionists. This led to the first skirmish between Humanity and the Covenant. In the aftermath, a trading attempt was made with Humanity taking the initiative, and the Covenant bringing their troops. Again, this ended in a firefight which led to the beginning of the Human-Covenant War, declared by The High Prophets of Truth, Regret and Mercy, whom spread the message amongst their coalition of species that Humans were an affront to their Gods. Multiple events and battles have taken place since then, and the Covenant are now beginning to glass worlds.

**21:47 – September 17th, 2525 – High Charity**

The Minor Prophet of Faith was looking through the files, going over how the past few months had been. She was alone in one of the San'Shyuums' designated rooms, her own room in fact, that was given to those whom had a voice in the High Council, even if it was a small one. She had been surprised at the immediate accusation of the High Prophets against this new species 'Humanity' and how they were a race of 'Demons' responsible for the destruction of their Gods. Part of her wasn't very inclined to believe it. Of course, she made sure never to mention it or always avoid the subject, she liked living too much to be accused of heresy and be hanged by her entrails. Yet curiosity always struck her whenever she thought of the fact that rather than ask them to join the Covenant, or in the worst case scenario, _force them_ to join the Covenant, this was the first species ever to become a true enemy to them all. Her trail of thought was cut short when her monitor's screen went completely black. At first she thought it was a malfunction, something very rare to happen in High Charity of all places, even more so in her own private room, but then a message 'wrote itself' on the screen. When she read who or what was writing it, she was taken by surprise.

_From: Mendicant Bias_

_To: The Prophet of Faith._

_ [Before notifying others of anything, you should know that this text has a virus that will delete it and any traces that it may have existed at some point. Now that you are no longer considering departure, I can show you something of grave importance.]_

The Prophets had always seen Mendicant Bias as on of their Gods' Blind Oracles, one that did not have its own sentience, yet still had a lot of knowledge stored in them and was therefore one of their finest creations. Personally, she viewed it as an advanced, _the most advanced_ computer program in the galaxy, yet still just a computer program. Again, she never spoke of this. So finding out that it, in fact, was a true Oracle of its own, was very surprising. She would have reported this to the High Prophets had the first sentence not been written.

_ [You are, besides the High Prophets, the most influential Prophet amongst your kind. It is likely that if you were older, the chance of you becoming a High Prophet would be very large. But while it has been a subject of talk before in their council, you have made many decisions that are considered controversial. Such is the case of being openly against the induction of the Unggoy, Mgalekgolos, Yanme'es and Kig-Yar through slavery when first contact was made to them, and centuries later still not having as many rights as the San'Shyuum, Sangheili and Jiralhanae. Upon inspecting all possible Prophets capable of leading the separation of the Covenant, you were the one with the best odds.]_

The Prophet was now confused as to how the last two sentences didn't contradict one another. She was a lot more different than most Prophets, and towards the beginning of her career she was nearly relieved of her duties and permanently disgraced for it, but she gained a lot of popularity with the people. Even now, she could comfortably say that a good half of the San'Shyuum agreed with her in her points of views. She did not understand how she could be the one to separate the Covenant as it contradicted with her beliefs, and she was even more surprised that the Oracle was searching for someone capable of accomplishing the feat. It worried her for it to do that, but she figured that now that it was talking to her, she may try understand where it was all coming from. "Why would you be looking for one of my kind to do such a thing?"

_[The Humans, the one your coalition is against, are the Inheritors to the place my creators once had. They are the Reclaimers, the only ones capable to truly wield and use the technology that the Forerunners created.]_

"Then the High Prophets must be notified immediately!"

_[They already have been.]_

She looked wide-eyed at the screen as if it had turned into a thorn beast.

"How can this be true?"

_[The Humans were the Forerunners' designated Inheritors to their empire, technology, worlds, and even the Mantle of Responsibility. This means that they have one of the highest, if not the absolute highest, power and authority in the galaxy by rights, seeing as they are versatile and capable of maintaining and, should they be given the chance, protecting life. Yet when I sent this encrypted message so it would not be traced back to me with proof, your High Prophets saw this as a threat to their power. Their best thinkable solution became eradicating the only ones capable of understanding who the Forerunners were truly well.]_

Faith sat in her chair, staring in disbelief at the screen. She knew that something wasn't exactly normal about how this Human race was treated with such violence, but she never expected anything of _this_ magnitude. "So what if I spread this message plus the evidence you placed in your previous message to all planets, space stations and spaceships through out the Covenant so they can see what they are doing and cease doing so immediately?"

_[This was one of the first options I created when the High Prophets began their campaign against the Reclaimers, and one of the most quickly discarded. The message alone would be far too suspicious alone even if it holds evidence and the High Prophets would immediately disregard it and claim it to be only a petty attempt from the Humans to fool them all. If you were to openly declare that this message holds the truth, a calculated 47.5% would come to your aid, but you would be immediately executed, and it would weaken the divided fraction that defends you. The best calculated course of action is to have many cruisers prepared to transport those of your kind who would follow you and be willing to fight against the High Prophets, due to them being a good 46% yet still not too many. To do this, you must ask Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee, Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadumee, Chieftain Captain Tartarus and Chieftain Captain Taurus for their assistance to aid you. The two Commanders will see the truth and will ally with you almost immediately, and the two Chieftains will see the truth and follow you due to their anger at being lied to and being used by the High Prophets. Each of those have the sworn allegiance of many, the Sangheili Commanders have the loyalty of 60% of their kind, 70% of the Unggoy, and 40% of the Mgalekgolos, while the Jiralhanae Chieftain Captains have 40% of the pull on their kind, 50% on the Kig-Yar, and 40% of the Yanme'e. These numbers would be larger, but given the fact that the current Arbiter is Ripa 'Moramee, the rest of the Unggoy, Mgalekgolos and his own kind. The numbers aren't as high on his side as on the other Sangheili Commanders, mainly because, unlike most of his kind, he disregards honor and takes joy in mistreating others of different species. The Jiralhanae Chieftain Captains do not have as much support from their own kind because of the highest ranking Jiralhanae, the Chieftain General Maccabeus, who has an undying loyalty to the High Prophets and an even stronger belief in his Gods. This is seen with great respect amongst his kind who in turn would be able to force the rest of the Kig-Yar and Yanme'e to fight for them. Considering it is likely that you have the pull on 40% of your kind and the Huragok, even though they enjoy peace and would unanimously prefer to side with the Humans, knowing their importance, it is likely that 40% will manage to escape with you while the others would be enslaved and used by the covenant. In short, 47.5% of the Covenant would side with you if you were to proclaim that my message holds the truth and you prove it with evidence and if you had the Sangheili Commanders and Jiralhanae Chieftains with you.]_

Faith put a lot of thought into what Mendicant Bias was asking and probably expecting of her. Numbers did not lie, and it would probably be a very tight war with every single soldier being the difference between victory and defeat. But she knew that the opposite side was more numerous, and unlike her own kind, the other races had billions of soldiers each, so for the other side to have a 5% advantage could mean their destruction. She closed her eyes in thought, going through all possible scenarios in her head if she was to lead a war, and while the advice and strength of the Commanders and Chieftain Captains would help a lot, she couldn't see herself winning against the other side without taking crippling amounts of losses. She put her head in her hands in stress and frustration before saying, "Tell me how we would win when the others have millions, maybe even a few billion more soldiers than us and their leaders are more experienced in leading war."

_[By making all your forces leave their home planets, which are likely to have a majority on the side of the High Prophets, expel enemy forces where they are on planets where you have more numbers in soldiers, and allying yourself with the Humans.]_

Her eyes widened when she read the last part. The first two parts she knew were true, and she was already going over how they would regroup, but she did not even _think_ of asking a race that they had spent the past seven months against for their help. Those numbers could mean their victory in the war, but she did not see how they would not shoot if they suddenly appeared within range of sight near one of their worlds. "How would we do that? Even if they were willing to listen to us, what would make them believe that we were on the same side?"

_[The same thing you would use to make your half of the Covenant follow you. Proof.]_

"But the proof I'll have to convince my side to separate from the Covenant probably won't convince them. They would likely dismiss it as a pathetic excuse to go near their worlds and glass them!"

_[I already have gone through that scenario, and if it were to be done, there would be a 70% chance that you would not be believed and would be attacked immediately. That is why you will be showing them the second part of the evidence.]_

Faith was intrigued by this. "What second part?"

_[If you were to show them videos where all different species were against one another on different planets including their homeworlds, and eventually fleeing to regroup with you, the chances would be lowered to a 30%. And as an additional measure, if you were to offer parts of your technology effective immediately, such as weaponry, ships, vehicles and other different things, the chances would decrease to a 5%.]_

She looked to the screen considering everything that she learned in the past few minutes. The truth of Humanity, the idea of separation from the Covenant, waging a civil war and allying themselves with the species they had massacred for the past few months. That is _if_ she were to listen to the Oracle and do all the things it had proposed. This led her to the most important question she wanted to ask, "How do you know that I'm not only capable of these actions, but also am _willing_ to do this?"

_[Because you always seek to do the right choice, and you know that by keeping true to yourself, you would not turn a blind eye to this.]_

Faith sighed. The Oracle had her from the beginning and she didn't even know it. She sat up straight and asked, "What is the next step?"

_[I've already sent a report that a 'world' has been found suitable for the San'Shyuum that may be able to help your kind grow once again. This will serve as an excuse to bring all San'Shyuum who are willing to follow you on several already prepped cruisers while you go on ahead to lead them. Afterwards, you will request to the High Council for the Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee, Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadumee, Chieftain Captain Tartarus and Chieftain Captain Taurus to escort you to said 'world'. The location will be empty and from there you will jump to other coordinates too far for Covenant Vessels to track you and kill you. Once that is done, you will transmit the message with the truth of the Humans to every starship, space station and world, while transmitting your coordinates so they come to regroup. The High Prophets will be in too much shock to react in time, and by the time they send a fleet, you will either have an armada that will destroy anything in its path, or you will be gone. You will receive a call from the High Council to discuss the 'world' and go there. The High Prophets will remain in High Charity to help with the war, so you will volunteer to lead the San'Shyuum. Because those whom agree with your views would gladly go with your guidance and those whom don't would likely grudgingly stay behind, then those whom will support you will stay safe and with you.]_

Faith read it all and nodded her head in understanding. She quickly found a recent video log from a secondary monitor she had in her room and found that ships were already prepared. Now feeling ready for what was to come in the next few days, she asked the last questions she had in mind. "What of you, Oracle? Will you accompany us?"

_[Yes. I helped create the physical and cybernetic systems, but not without creating override protocols. As soon as you leave, a will accompany you with a stealth cloaking unit from one of the Special Operations Centers. Using that, I will disguise myself to teleport directly to your Super Carrier. When you finish the transmission of the lies coming from the High Council and later show the faces of the Sangheili Commanders and Jiralhanae Chieftains Captains who will fight alongside you, I will activate a virus that will leave High Charity in a black out for an estimated 7 hours. A fake video that I manufactured will appear on the Covenant Fleets' screens that will make it seem as if we were attacking High Charity 2 hours after the blackout commences to give time to escape to those in High Charity who are allying themselves with us. All ships should arrive to your meeting point within 5 hours, and depending on whether ships arrive to attack you or not, which stands at 50% each, there will be minimal casualties. Honor Guards should be entering your room seconds from now. Good luck.]_

Just as Faith finished reading, the door to her room opened to two Sangheili Honor Guardsmen standing by the sides of the doors and a Sangheili Honor Guard Ultra walked inside and bowed his head to her. He spoke just as the other two bowed their heads as well, "Minor Prophet of Faith, I apologize for interrupting your personal matters at these times, but the High Prophets have authorized me to enter to notify you of something of great importance to the San'Shyuum. We are here to escort you to the High Council's Chambers so that you are present during the discussion of your kind's well being."

Faith discretely looked back at her screen to find the files reports on different battles of the war the Covenant was having with Humanity. She shut down her monitors, put on her Anti-Gravity Belt, and walked towards the Honor Guardsmen. "Very well. Have you any information on what it's about?"

"No, your Honor, I was not given any more information other than the fact that it will change the future for the San'Shyuum. I hope it is for the better." The Honor Guard Ultra replied. She knew exactly what it was about, but she had to make it so she didn't. She knew that if anyone became aware of her plan before time, a vast amount of deaths would be on her hands. She did not want that.

She was outside the chamber doors when the two Guardsmen bowed their heads in goodbye and returned to their posts. She looked to the Ultra and nodded as the door opened. The Ultra remained near the door but inside the Chamber for protection, with several others in defensive stances. Faith lightly levitated to her seat in the lowest row of the right in the end closest to the High Prophets. Depending on how close or far you were to the High Prophets was a measure to how valuable your opinion was to the whole Council. Faith was on of the youngest Minor Prophets to ever have lived, yet even then, with her vast experience and her popularity amongst her people granted her one of the closest spots of the Council. She lightly levitated and placed herself in her seat. It was half crowded, but more San'Shyuum and Sangheili Councilors were entering by the seconds, and within a few minutes, the entire place was filled. The last to arrive were the famous three High Prophets of Truth, Mercy and Regret, all in their Anti-Gravity Thrones.

When the three reached their places in the middle of the Chamber, it was Truth who spoke the first words, "All of you have been summoned here today on such short notice because you must become aware of the gift that the Gods have given us today."

There was much talk amongst all members of the council save the three High Prophets and Faith, who faked a curious look. "It was only mere moments ago when we were shown of perhaps what our kind needed in its most glorious form. A world blessed with low gravity, a safe atmosphere _and_ rich soils. This means that we can finally inhabit a world where we may live and thrive in once again!"

Faith was hearing the conversations filled with excitement all around her. It saddened her too much the fact that this was not true and instead was something a lot worse. A couple of seats behind her, she heard the Minor Prophet of Malevolence chuckling in delight. He was one of the oldest Minor Prophets in the Chamber and had been both a guide and a friend to her. She felt even worse knowing that the sweet, frail old man that had helped her and supported her throughout her whole career would be devastated at the news of the planet not existing.

"Yet, we are at war to prevent the demons from defiling our Gods' legacies and graves. We Hierarchs cannot leave our position to reap the benefits of this joyous wonder, and many of us must stay to aid in the defense of the mighty Covenant!" Regret spoke. Mercy continued for him, "That is why we must request a volunteer with the courage, leadership and experience to lead those whom will follow him or her to the path of our race's well being, the one we must take before we achieve the Great Journey. Are there any Minor Prophets in this Chamber capable of doing this task?"

Once again there was much talk. Faith waited a few more seconds so she did not sound suspicious at jumping for the position as soon as it was said yet did not wait too long so she did not loose her place. She rose from her seat, all eyes on her, some in admiration and others in disfavor. "I volunteer to lead our race to a better path, Hierarchs."

The entire Chamber went silent. All three High Prophets analyzed her to see any signs of doubt. When they saw no such thing they looked to one another and whispered privately before looking at her again. Faith knew that many times before they had been in disagreement, but through all her works, she gained respect from the absolute leaders of the Covenant. Truth looked directly into her eyes with a serene yet serious look on his face. "Very well, Faith. Time has shown us your value to the Covenant and the power of your word in it. You will lead the San'Shyuum willing to go under your leadership to our new designated homeworld, New Janjur Qom."

"At once, Hierarchs." She lied. She bowed her head to the High Prophets, a respectful gesture that they returned. "This meeting is adjourned." Regret announced. The San'Shyuum began to head to the doors, Faith among them, but she was halted by Malevolence. "Child, is it not _wonderful_ that we will not have to worry of our species' endangerment?" The old Prophet asked gleefully. Faith faked a smile to not make him worry beforehand. "Yes, Jurd, it is almost impossible to believe for me."

"Well, it's a shame that we cannot all go there yet because of this damnable war. The Hierarchs say these 'Humans' are a blight to the galaxy, but I wouldn't be so quick to judge an entire race over a couple of misunderstandings. In truth, I'm not even sure what the purpose of this war truly is. Had I been one of the Hierarchs, I would have at least attempted to avoid it." Jurd 'Malevolence' Xren said in disappointment. Faith could not agree more with what he had said, but she knew that there was no point in weeping for a mistake of the past, especially one that was not caused by them. Faith was about to ask Malevolence to accompany her on her ship, when he spoke first, "Although I felt the need to voice that, that is not why I came to you. My old memory is starting to fail me, because I originally came with the intent of asking you if I could join you on your ship, child."

Faith smiled at the old man who was once a father to her. "It would be an honor and my pleasure to have you on my ship." Malevolence chuckled in delight at the thought. They both walked together to the docks where a phantom was waiting for them. Two Honor Guardsmen that were guarding the phantom stepped to the sides, allowing them both through. They boarded the airship along with other San'Shyuum along with a few Sangheili and Jiralhanae for protection.

The phantom, along with several thousands of others boarded the _Long Night of Solace_, the head of the fleet of 30 CSO-Class Supercarriers to deliver the 9,000,000 San'Shyuum under the leadership of Faith. The CSO-Class Supercarriers may be 28.9 kilometers each, but those only took 7,000,000 San'Shyuum in total plus 2,000,000 soldiers of other species to protect them. Between 75 other Assault Carriers of 5.3 kilometers each, the other 2,000,000 San'Shyuum went aboard them with 1,750,000 of more troops. Although all ships were equipped to the brim with weapons, shields and other defensive mechanisms, two more side fleets of 10 CSO-Class Supercarriers holding 3,000,000 troops per fleet and 50 Assault Carriers with 2,500,000 troops per fleet accompanied them for a safe trip. Without counting the San'Shyuum, there were a total of 14,750,000 soldiers protecting them, 8,000,000 aboard all CSO-Class Supercarriers and 6,750,000 aboard all Assault Carriers. While the intention was for 15 CSO-Class Supercarriers and 50 Assault Carriers remain as the defending fleet of the new homeworld, the massive fleet was felt necessary by the High Prophets to protect half of the entire San'Shyuum population.

Faith and Malevolence finally arrived at the _Long Night of Solace_, and from there, traveled to its bridge. On there, they were met with a pleasant sight, at least from Faith's point of view. Around the holographic table in the center of the Command Center were the well known Thel 'Vadamee, Rtas 'Vadumee, Tartarus and Taurus. She remembered how she had forgotten to request them for escorts and future allies when she met up with Malevolence, and it was a relief to see them already here. Her best guess was that Mendicant Bias was well aware of the probabilities of her not memorizing all the instructions it had given her and pinpointed which of all of them was the most likely she would fail to do. Of course, she hid this with a look of shock, but not the unpleasant kind. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Commanders and Chieftain Captains?"

When the four caught sight of her, they bowed their heads in respect while Rtas spoke, "The Hierarchs were advised by the Blind Oracle to have us as the Fleet Masters leading the ships to New Janjur Qom, though I understand why it is a _Blind_ Oracle."

"What makes you say that?" Faith asked curious as to what the Sangheili might say. "Because it probably doesn't understand what a _true_ Fleet Master is." He said eyeing the two Jiralhanae. Tartarus scowled at the Commander and growled, "Have anything you want to say, _splitlips_?"

"_What _did you just call me?"

"Enough!" The five turned to look at Malevolence who had decided speak up then. Rtas immediately bowed his head saying, "Pardon my poor vision, your Honor, I had not seen you-"

"Damn it, Commander, I want none of your petty excuses! And that goes for you as well, Chieftain!" Tartarus had been smiling at the display until he was mentioned. "The Sangheili may have been the cofounders of the Covenant, but that does not take away the powerful influence the Jiralhanae have had in it! And it is the Jiralhanae's duty to take responsibility in that! _These_ types of pathetic arguments and pitiful sly remarks make me wonder just how some of each mighty race's _highest_ representatives manage to act like such arrogant _fools_!"

It was rare the time when Faith had seen her mentor truly angered by something. And few as they were, they were enough to assure _never_ to make a big mistake such as making a rude comment around him. Both warriors gave each other one last glare before bowing their heads and saying, "We apologize for our lack of courtesy, your Honor, it shall not happen again."

Malevolence sighed. "My years are running out, and in those I have left, I want to see my people grow again. I am far too old to start teaching discipline to those unaware of it, _especially_ if those are already _professionals_ who should _already_ understand it. I will be going to my headquarters for some much needed rest, and I hope that tomorrow my day will not have to be soured." The old man put a caring hand on Faith's shoulder before walking out of the room with his personal Honor Guards.

All were silent in the room after the departure of the wise Prophet, and it was Faith who took it upon herself to break the ice. "I doubt I have any need to say anything about this little encounter, but I would advice each of you not to anger him again."

"Of course, Prophet, I will make it so that it does not happen again." Thel spoke. Rtas gave him a surprised look, and he returned it with a calm yet serious stare. Taurus then figured he might as well have a word in all of this, "As will I, Prophet. But it will be difficult because of my poor brother's lack of intellect."

Rather than become enraged by this, Tartarus gave a tired sigh and looked at Taurus with a frown. In return, Taurus gave his older brother a wide, toothy grin. "Perhaps I should kill you, brother, so you may die with the honor of saying that it was your own blood that murdered you."

Taurus chuckled. "I doubt that very much, brother, you love me _far_ too much to bring a dagger down my throat." Thel grinned at that, and even Rtas couldn't help but laugh under his breath a bit. Tartarus put hands over his face, muttering, "Sometimes I doubt that."

Faith remembered some of the reports on Taurus, most of them being very unusual. The albino-furred warrior looked a lot like his older brother, one of the few yet large differences being his vivid-blue eyes. Like his brother's orange ones, his eyes seemed to glow in a flame-like manner, something unusual given most Jiralhanae's eyes were usually dull. That was just the physical description, his psychological reports were even stranger. Unlike most Jiralhanae, yet again, his attitude wasn't one of arrogance or blind anger, but one of lightheaded fun, and filled with lightheadedness. She recalled reading how on most occasions, before a battle, he would tell his squad and later platoon an elaborate joke or a hilarious story to get them in the best mood, and from there take them to war. Ironic to his comedic behavior, his physical skills, his strategic tactics, his leadership, his intelligence and his usage of most, if not all weapons, were so great that they rivaled his own brother's. And to the amazement of the High Council, his jokes before fights got his entire squads or platoons in the best mood, which left them _much_ more motivated. All of these characteristics are what got him to the second highest rank any Jiralhanae could achieve in their military. And that was because there could only be one Chieftain General at a time.

"Well, now that that is settled, I can finally ask the four of you a doubt I've had since I arrived here." All four finally stood up straight and put their hands behind their backs in professionalism, waiting to be asked whatever their temporary leader wanted to know. "Are _all_ of your soldiers of your _complete_ trust?"

The Sangheili Commanders were slightly shocked to hear such a question, and the Jiralhanae Chieftain Captains exchanged a look of very slight distrust towards her. Thel spoke first. "All of our warriors are truly loyal to us, I cannot imagine any of ours attempting to stab us in the back or outright kill us, your Honor."

Rtas took the initiative to continue. "Yes, we make sure that our men are all treated equally well, so that they have no doubt in following our leadership in combat. It is a requirement that we have when picking our soldiers in battle, a trait that the Shipmasters under our command have as well, and they are very close to us."

Faith turned to the two Jiralhanae, waiting for them to answer. Tartarus eyed her uneasily and said, "The warriors under our command have a large amount of respect for us. And even if they hated us, they wouldn't attempt to turn on us because they know how we could kill them without trouble. But even then, that isn't the case of the Chieftain Lieutenants under our command. We've fought together through all Seven Hells and back. At least those men and women commanding the ships of these fleets would never turn on us, and anyone on their ships who did would have to go through them first. And they are tougher than a damn Mgalekgolo's armor."

"Good. It is reassuring to know that." Said Faith in relief. The four Fleet Masters still looked somewhat intrigued by the reasoning behind the question. Taurus decided to voice it, "Your Honor, I have no problem with what you just asked us, but would you please enlighten us as to why what we just told you is of much importance? After all, we are to be your escorts before returning our efforts to the Demons."

Hearing the Chieftain call Humanity that made her feel the need to tell these four the truth. But that would come in time, not before. The question, however, she could answer easily without having to think of a complicated lie. "We are at war, Chieftain Captain Taurus, anything could happen. And is it not my right to make sure that half of the entire population of my people is in safe hands?"

"Of course, your Honor, I apologize for my doubts."

"No need, Taurus, you have just as many rights to ask as I do." Taurus smiled a bit at that. Thel and Rtas looked at one another and nodded. Rtas spoke, "Your Honor, I will be heading to the phantom that will take me aboard the _Shadow of Intent_, the head ship of one of the fleets to protect your kind while the Supreme Commander will stay here with one of the Chieftain Captains to lead this fleet with you."

Faith nodded and was about to speak when Taurus interrupted her line of thought, "As much fun as I've had here, your Honor, I will be leaving as well to my ship, the _Bloody Dagger_, to lead the second fleet that will ensure no harm comes to the escort fleet you will be leading alongside Imbecile here and Slick over there." Thel was a bit surprised at being called 'Slick', but made no comment as it meant no harm, while Tartarus groaned when he was pulled by his brother in a side hug. As much as he may not want to admit it at times, Taurus was perhaps the man Tartarus loved the most, and even when he was insulted by him, he could not help but laugh. Tartarus got our of his brother's tight grip that was casual amongst his kind, and gave him a firm head-butt a bit too hard to get him a bit dizzy. Taurus groaned a bit and clutched his forehead, while Tartarus laughed and said, "See you around, brother."

Taurus laughed as well, "See you around , brother." With that, Taurus and Rtas left to their own phantoms that lead to the Assault Cruisers that would lead each side fleet. With Thel and Tartarus in the room, she decided to give her first orders on the ship. "Fleet Masters, set a course to New Janjur Qom."

The two nodded their heads. They barked orders, and soon all ships of the escort fleet and the two side fleets started mobilizing. A few more seconds, and they were all warped in multiple spherical portals. One of the Kig-Yar head pilots said to the three, "Fleet Masters, it is calculated that we will arrive to the coordinates within 12 hours."

Faith was pleased to hear that. She could probably have get some good, long sleep and still have a couple of hours to spare. She then announced, "I will be heading to the room I was assigned to get some sleep. If any events of importance happen, wake me at once."

"Of course, your Honor!" Tartarus barked. Faith turned around to leave and headed out to find her headquarters. She hoped no conflict would arise between the aggressive Chieftain and the righteous Commander. Part of her knew that as long as San'Shyuum were near the two species, they would maintain professionalism and leave grudges for another time. And right now, half the population was in this fleet. She had only walked a few meters before finding a large door with her name on it. The large door had an elongated screen on the top that said '_Minor Prophet of Faith_'. She placed her hand on a small, holographic sphere that would recognize her hand. It didn't take more than a few seconds for it to open to a large room, obviously reserved for Fleet Masters or Ship Masters. She quickly found what she felt she needed the most. She laid her back on the large bed to find it especially soft, perfectly outfitted not just for her kind, but for her. She got up to open the closet to find formal robes and soft sleeping robes. She decided to change into formal robes to not waste time in changing the next morning. She set the room's gravity to fit that of her kind and took of her Anti-Gravity Belt. She lay in the soft bed and covered herself up in its blankets, closing her eyes long enough for sleep to catch her.

**Author's Notes: To avoid confusion, since the High Prophets are generally refered as Hierarchs or Your Grace, I will refer Minor Prophets as Your Honor. I figured it would avoid confusion. As for the Jiralhanae, the highest ranks will consist of Chieftain Lieutenants, Chieftain Captains and Chieftain General, the counterparts to the Sangheili Zealots/Field Marshals, Supreme Commanders and Imperial Admiral respectively. It's been a pleasure writing this, and all constructive critics are welcome.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Hey guys, The Almighty Afroduck's here to publish a brand new chapter! In this chapter, you will see how Faith and Malevolence have influenced in the rise of several species not including the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae in certain terms of power. While they still aren't as powerful or as important as the latter two, you will see how they will be more beefed up and how their new chains of command work. You will also understand why the Humans (although they went to war with the Forerunners) were left to be the Inheritors of their empire and the Reclaimers of the Mantle of Responsibility (keep in mind that there are some reasons I will create that are not in the canon, but I find would be very fitting for this story). **

**I've taken into account how my writing in the previous chapter may have been confusing (some pointed out I let characters speak in mid-paragraph) mainly because I don't like half-assed paragraphs, but I've reformated this chapter to be otherwise. The other reviews I've read state that I've overpowered Faith's main fleet plus two escort fleets. Remember the Prophets from the Halo games (for those of you who have played it). The 3 fanatical leaders of the Covenant that are a part of a dying race (21 million in comparison of the billions the other species have is almost nothing), and the last thing they would want is to have the ships with half of the San'Shyuum population (the top race of the ENTIRE Covenant) to be destroyed. There are a tremendous amount of ships, I won't deny that, but it is not without reason. The last thing I would like to say is actually similar to the last subject. There will be a moment in this chapter where you will find a COLOSSAL number of ships (believe me, you have no idea how many) that is by all definitions overpowered. I want you to know this is one of the only times (if not the only) that you will see this many ships and I have no intention to make this story unrealistic (in the terms of the games). Now let's get started.**

**PART 1- PROLOGUE**

**The Great Schism**

**8:32 – September 18th, 2525 – Long Night of Solace**

Faith woke up filled with energy after a long, dreamless slumber. For a second she did not remember where she was, and then she remembered all the events of the previous night. It seemed almost surreal to her everything that was about to happen. She sighed at the thought of what would probably be years of a terrible war that would come soon for her. It was not long from happening, but she was going to enjoy these final moments of peace between her and the Covenant. She looked around and found the robes she used the previous day folded in a neat pile. She took a deep breath before getting to her feet and putting on her AG-Belt. She returned the room's gravity back to normal and gave the room one last look before opening the door and walking out. She looked around at the peaceful hall heading to the bridge of the ship. She realized the good news that meant not having her sleep interrupted. She had been right on the Sangheili's and the Jiralhanae's behaviors around Prophets.

She walked into the Commands Center of the ship to find only Thel 'Vadamee looking out the large window on the other side of the long room. He turned around to face her and bowed his head, an act that she reciprocated. "Your Honor. I hope you enjoyed your long rest."

"That I have, Supreme Commander. What of you and Tartarus? I suppose that I can assume that he is resting while you stay here."

"That is partially true, your Honor, when you left last night, the Chieftain and I came to the mutual agreement to take turns in guarding the fleet, and he chose to take the first shift, and three hours ago I was woken up to guard the fleet at my shift. While I am keeping an eye on everything so that all is clear, I will make sure to wake him in two hours. We made it so each had five hours of rest and on the last hour we would both be awake for the arrival of your new homeworld."

"Very efficient. I am glad that the Blind Oracle chose you two to lead us to safety."

"Thank you, your Honor. It is my pleasure to escort you to salvation." _Not what I would call it_, Faith thought. She said a temporary goodbye and left to have some breakfast. She went through a different hall that lead to an elevator that took her to the mess hall. There were very few tables that were not occupied, and for every minute that passed, they became less. Hundreds of tables holding up to twelve each occupied the humongous hall, and in the walls were different foods. She finally got out of the elevator and found that everyone had stopped eating and talking to look at her. One San'Shyuum rose from his seat and started clapping. Soon, all followed. She smiled and waved a bit, not really understanding why she was receiving such tremendous amounts of attention. When they settled down, she went to one of the walls to grab a tray, a plate, and servings of several different things, such as vegetables befitted perfectly for their kind, a couple of a farm bird's eggs, sweet pastries to gain carbohydrates, and a bit of roasted meat that came from a thorn beast's ribs.

She walked with the tray in her hands for a while on the long hall made of the purple metallic alloy most Covenant ships were made of. She saw in the distance the same San'Shyuum that began the massive applause waiving at her to sit down. About halfway into the walk, she recognized the old man that had gotten up to clap for her. When she arrived, she set the tray down on her spot and sat, but not before giving Malevolence a hug.

"Jurd, you did not have to do that." She said to her old friend. Malevolence smiled at her and said, "I know I didn't child, but I chose to. And all those in this hall chose as well. And I'm sure that if everyone on this ship was here as well, they would have clapped too."

"Truthfully, I don't understand why you all did. Do not mistake me, I am not complaining, but I don't know what I've done to earn this." Malevolence chuckled. " Oh child, so filled with ideals and large amounts of knowledge, yet still naïve. You have undertaken the role of leading nine million lives to a new home for us. The trip is easy, but it's your devotion not just to us, but the Covenant itself that has earned you this. Many could have chosen the spot you are in right now, and very few would have the same reception."

Faith beamed at him, "I know you would be one of those to receive even better reception than me."

"I doubt it. I'm too damn old for this and I would probably spend half of the applause cursing them all to hell for ruining what's left of my hearing." Faith laughed hard, a couple of tears rolling down her face as she did. The two talked for a while afterwards and finished their very delicious breakfast to head to one of the elevators to return to the bridge.

When they both returned, they found both Thel and Tartarus in the room leaning on the holo-table in the center. It seemed to be the map of New Janjur Qom. _The Oracle truly left no room for mistake_, Faith thought. The Fleet Masters immediately stood up straight and gave a small bow to the both of them. The two just walked near the holo-table, Malevolence especially curious about the map. "Is this it?"

"Recent scans confirm this map, your Honor." Tartarus said.

"Not quite like the original, but nonetheless beautiful." The old man remarked quietly.

Faith felt like she was about to burst out the truth of the situation when she heard that, but thankfully a Yanme'e head pilot put a stop to that. "We are reaching the coordinates, Fleet Masters."

The Jiralhanae and the Sangheili for once stood side by side to watch their exit out of slip-space while Malevolence stood besides Faith with a smile on his face. "Perhaps I may die in peace." He whispered. For a second, Faith thought she might weep.

All ships came out of slip-space to find… nothing. They would have thought they got the wrong coordinates, but when they double checked, they found out they came to the right place. The worst part was, there wasn't even a star system nearby. Malevolence shook his head in shock, "This must be a mistake! Could the Prophets have accidentally confused the coordinates?" Faith felt something in her right arm vibrate. She looked at it and found a small, holographic screen that wasn't there before with a written message.

_[Bellow this text is going to be the coordinates where you will create the meeting point for your forces. As for the excuse, say that the High Prophets sent you a message through quantum-entanglement communications that reached the monitor in your room during slip-space claiming that with recent information, they found out the first set of coordinates to be just as likely as unlikely to have been the true coordinates. To make sure, you were to wait until exiting slip-space to go to the new coordinates which are now confirmed to be true since the first location was a mistake.]_

She read the coordinates and had them sent to the bridge. She then spoke up, becoming the center of attention of the room. "Set a course to the coordinates that I've just sent to your monitors, New Janjur Qom should be there."

Everyone in the room stared at her quizzically when they heard the news. "Your Honor, if I may ask, how is it that the first set of coordinates given to us by the Hierarchs themselves lead to nothing, and when did you receive the message with your homeworld's 'true' location?" Tartarus asked eyeing her suspiciously.

The Minor Prophet looked directly at him, no fear or doubt in what she was going to say next. "I was notified by the Hierarchs last night that the coordinates that were given originally may have been incorrect. This is because the probe sent its coordinates before time, and therefore, might be a couple of systems off. I did not give the orders to change course during slip-space in case the location was correct by chance, and rather waited since another slip-space travel to the new coordinates would only be a about 2 hours long."

Most of those in the room had their doubts clarified, and although the Commander and the Chieftain went along with it, they seemed to be catching on. Even Malevolence was looking at her in doubt. Faith decided it was time to show her future allies the truth, but to do that, she needed all of the highest ranking Fleet Masters and Ship Masters from all three fleets.

"Commander 'Vadamee, Chieftain Tartarus, before traveling onwards to our new planet, would you kindly tell all of the highest ranking soldiers who you trust the most to board this ship?"

"Your Honor?" Thel asked in much surprise, Tartarus in too much shock to say something. "Believe me, Fleet Masters, it is of upmost importance that they be here. It does not matter what species they are, be them Unggoy, Mgalekgolo, Yanme'e, Kig-Yar or your own races, so long as they come."

"But _why_, your Honor? What could be of such importance in an escort trip?"

"I cannot say it before the time comes, Supreme Commander, but I can undoubtedly say it is the most important discovery since we were made aware of the existence of the Humans." The two stayed in their spots, but eventually complied, seeing as they were given an order by their leader. Both communicated with multiple others through their earpieces and eye-visors, and soon, a phantom for every ship in the fleet departed to deliver their best. Malevolence put a hand on her shoulder to speak to her. "Child, I do not know what has caused this change in you, but I have no doubt that it is no laughing matter and that you will treat it with as much effort and dedication as it is required. If you need me, then I will be more than glad to help you."

"I know, Jurd, that is why I've always trusted with these types of situations." Both smiled at one another, being interrupted only by Tartarus's announcement that the phantoms had arrived. Faith nodded at him and said, "Take us to the new coordinates, head pilots. Malevolence, Supreme Commander, Chieftain Captain, I will need you to come with me to some more private quarters, where the others aboard the phantoms will come as well."

With that, she turned her back on them all and left the room. It was not long before she heard the automatic door opening again and a couple of heavy footsteps following her trail. She kept walking, feeling the ship shake a bit when it entered slip-space. She continued on until she found the elevator that would take them to the War Room. She stepped inside, finally turning around to press the right button, but not before allowing her followers to enter. Before it moved, she pressed her hand against a holographic sphere that scanned her hand and proved she had the authority to enter.

They reached the War Room, finding it was large enough to contain at least three hundred hosts. She found it to resemble a theater a bit, given the many seats the audience of veterans were given, and in the end of the room being a large screen, generally used as a projector of strategic maps of worlds, cities and bases of importance. In the end, a two gravity thrones sat, reserved for the two most important Minor Prophets on the ship. She came to the conclusion that there would be enough room for the Supreme Commander, the Special Operations Commander, and the two most important Chieftain Captains to stand besides her and Malevolence. She walked to the end of the hall, the elder Prophet by her side, and sat on one of the stationed gravity thrones, with the other following her lead. The two powerful thrones came to life and floated above the ground.

Thel and Tartarus walked close to Faith, inferring that she was expecting them to be there alongside her. The place was empty save for the four of them, but they had received word that there were 224 more on their way. _Not completely full, yet still an important amount. Good,_ Faith thought. The next to arrive were Rtas 'Vadumee, Taurus and several Sangheili and Jiralhanae Shipmasters, having the ranks of Zealots and Chieftain Lieutenants respectively. The two previous hosts went besides the other two Fleet Masters after having received a message from her telling them to do so. Soon, more and more arrived, until all Shipmasters were accounted for. Looking thoroughly at all those before her, Faith noticed how there were many of diverse ranks, most being Zealots and Chieftain Lieutenants while a few were field Marshals and more prestigious Chieftain Lieutenants and only a couple of Chieftain Captains. In total, there were 62 Sangheili and 52 Jiralhanae Shipmasters.

Kig-Yar Zealots did not escape her view, being 31 in the crowd of 228. Twelve newly appointed Unggoy Commanders, in no small part because of Malevolence's and her own support in the High Council, were the true minority in the room. Unlike most Unggoy, however, they received respect from all of their subordinates of different species for their greatly talented leadership. Yanme'e Kings and Queens were numbered in 35, being thrice as large and strong as the usual Yanme'e. Most insect-like species held Queens that were responsible for the creations of their Soldiers and Workers, but the Yanme'e were different in the sense that the Queen needed a King and not just any other male Yanme'e to fertilize her. Since both contained vast amounts of genetic information, the eggs they laid were all genetically different, allowing their Soldier children to mate with one another, creating the Worker variants, whom, if they mated with other Workers, would only gain Workers. Tens of thousands of eggs were laid by a Yanme'e Queen at a time, but only one to six Royal eggs were laid in a lifetime.

Last, but not least, were 36 Neurnlekgolo. These were very interesting seeing as how they were far more rare than any Yamne'e King or Queen. Most Mgalekgolo reproduce asexually by laying thousands of tiny eggs with sufficient genetic material to grow into regular Lekgolo. Every once in a while, the eggs were fully linked with one another, and separated into two piles when they hatched so each would grow into a bonded Mgalekgolo, the pair thinking similarly because of their united growth. Neurnlekgolo, however, may as well have been genetic mutations, seeing as the newborn Lekgolo did not separate at birth. This in turn, lead to the individual Lekgolo growing a calculated three fifths of what the average Lekgolo measures. This leads them to be taller than the regular than the average Mgalekgolo, and much smarter given the hive-mind being consistent of twice the amount of Lekgolo, hence the name Neurnlekgolo. They are generally more powerful, agile and strategic than a normal Mgalekgolo in a fight, are more than capable enough of leading platoons into battle, and as of recently, can take the rank of a Commander and a Shipmaster.

Before her were some of the best of each race, all undoubtedly loyal to the four warriors besides her, and perhaps loyal to herself as well. All small talk between the Shipmasters eventually ended and looked at the six of them. In turn, Rtas, Thel, Tartarus, Taurus and Malevolence looked at her expectantly. She knew this was the plan, but could not continue it without the evidence. "I have gathered you all at these hours to inform you that we will not be arriving at New Janjur Qom because said planet sadly does not exist."

All those in the room gasped at her words, including the four Fleet Masters and her old friend. Malevolence more than shocked looked saddened, even depressed, when he heard her speak. Faith hated knowing she was the cause of his despair, which would eventually be shared by all the San'Shyuum on the ship, but she knew there would be no more stalling of the events that were about to unravel. "We shall be arriving at a location distant from most Covenant worlds, ships and space stations, and send a message to regroup as many forces as possible."

"Regroup for what, your Honor?" a Sangheili Zealot asked.

"For the preparations of a war that will be coming to us, not by the Humans, but the Hierarchs themselves." There was now much more shock and murmurs of the insanity most had just heard.

"With all due respect, your Honor, why _the Seven Hells_ would the Hierarchs wage war on us, their soldiers, as if we were a separate faction, dare I say, _heretics_?" She heard more than a few grunts of approval in the Chieftain Lieutenant's words.

"That is one of the names we shall be given by them for taking the more righteous path."

"What path is more righteous than that of the Great Journey?"

"One that is real." All were completely silenced when a somewhat electronic voice spoke. A flash of light in front of the middle of the screen and the Oracle Mendicant Bias appeared. Faith looked around her to see all the astonished faces of those in the room, even hearing a couple whisper 'The Oracle'. The large orb with three 'eyes' floated down in between Faith and Malevolence, still facing the crowd. She noticed how large it was when she realized it was twice as big as the average Oracle is believed to be. "You have been lied by your religious leaders on two very important matters. The first is the belief of the Great Journey. Your Prophets have mistaken the most powerful weapons in the entire galaxy, created by the Forerunners, to be the tool for your 'divine salvation'. The second is marking the Humans as the common foe. Humans were originally the Inheritors of the empire my creators left behind, earning the title of Reclaimers of the Mantle. This, I showed to the High Prophets, and rather than attempt to ally with them seeing their importance, they decided to head to war in order to eliminate their existence so that they remain in power. Here are the records that Humans were once strong enough to fight the Forerunners, but were eventually defeated."

Mendicant Bias shot a triple beam through all his 'eyes' at the screen, but rather than burning it, it displayed a clip. It showed their Gods, the Forerunners, fighting Humans, dated a few millennia more than a hundred thousand years back. "Humanity once held an empire a hundred thousand years back that was second to that of the Forerunners in terms of power, strength and size. This empire was formed when the Humans were angered by the control and authority my creators had when they titled themselves the Inheritors of the Mantle of Responsibility. They beyond the Orion Arm of the Milky Way, creating a civilization of 20,000 worlds strong."

When they saw the images of the Humans fighting with the Forerunners, they questioned what kind of an enemy they were facing, and after hearing The Oracle speak, most felt chills running down their spines. Faith, intrigued by the information that was being fed to them, decided to ask, "Why are these prehistoric Humans fighting the Forerunners?"

"The empire the Humans had was vast beyond words, yet even then they had enemies powerful enough to drive them from their worlds. Such was the case that whenever said enemy arrived at one of their worlds, it would immediately be destroyed by the Humans as a safety precaution. After losing a third of their empire, they became very desperate, and quickly began colonizing planets habitable wherever they could find. This included planets in Forerunner territory, something that was immediately noticed by them." The 'smart' AI continued. Rtas then voiced his question, a slight amount of fear in it, "What was this enemy, powerful enough to rock a strong civilization as was the prehistoric Humanity's out of balance?"

"The data on the foes that reaped Humanity and later on the Forerunners is corrupted, and I have not been able to retrieve it again. All I know was that it was the indirect cause of the fall of Humanity, and later on the reason as to why the Forerunners were wiped out." Mendicant Bias answered. Looking around the hall, he noticed the fear in all the faces in the crowd, even in those to his sides, and for no small reason. He lied about the data on the Flood being lost, and would use the excuse that he was torn in half as false proof in case he ever needed it. One day he would tell them of the dangers of the parasite, but now would be the worst time to inform them of such a threat. "Humanity managed to destroy a majority of this enemy and sent the remnants out of the galaxy. The devastating war, however, was replaced by an even worse one. The Forerunners did not take kindly the quick invasion of the Humans on planets on their systems, even though those had no true value. They took it as a war act and began the extermination of Humanity and the allies they had gained earlier on, the San'Shyuum."

"The Prophets were allied to Humanity once?!" A Jiralhanae Chieftain Lieutenant bellowed in disbelief. "Yes, they were allies when they discovered one another after Humanity began colonizing outside of the Orion Arm. The Humans, with their versatility and skills in war, and the San'Shyuum, with their sophisticated technology formed a powerful alliance. When they were attacked by the Forerunners, they fought with all their might. But after having their empire crippled only to face an intelligent, efficient and harsh opponent led the San'Shyuum to being contained in one of their worlds in quarantine while the Humans were stripped of all their technology and devolved to a pre-technological state."

Mendicant took a pause to see all still in shock from his words, yet still soaking it all in. He then went on, "The Forerunners, now had gone through the second largest war in their history, the first against the Precursors, the beings who held the Mantle before them. Like the Humans, they were jealous of the power of those who wielded the title of Bearers of the Mantle. This led to a long war between the two, since the Precursors had no intention of loosing their power. Unlike the Forerunners were, however, the Precursors used their authority in the galaxy to 'play God', and made species evolve to space-faring state, just to destroy them all for entertainment. The Forerunners rose up to them, fighting with all their power, which led to the disappearance of the Precursors, but not before they were left with a parting gift from the latter. The Precursors created an enemy of extraordinary power, capable of bringing my creators to their knees. Unfortunately, this species encountered the Humans before the Forerunners."

Now all were listening to Mendicant Bias with absolute focus. None of them were eager to miss out on an important detail of its story, especially after learning of a species that came before their Gods and created whatever drove them to extinction. "The Forerunners encountered the enemies that the Humans and San'Shyuum had fought before them, but were not as victorious as them. When they learned why both races had colonized without permission on their territory had been running from the enemy they now faced, almost all regretted their decision to wage war against and later punish the species they had crippled. When the time came, they built the strongest weapons in the galaxy, capable of destroying all life in it, as a last ditch effort against their enemy. You know these as the 'Halos' your High Prophets are constantly worked up about."

Faith looked at the large orb with her mouth agape. She was not alone, as the entire hall was in the same condition. Faith had never completely bought the whole 'Great Journey' story, but she never expected something of _this_ caliber. The 'smart' AI viewed the silence as a sign to continue, although their shock was not lost to him. He continued with the pictures and videos one the screen behind him verifying his word. "There are seven Halos, all have the might to wipe the galaxy clean of organic life. These were created after the Ark, the station capable of activating all of them. And that was what happened. A bit more than a hundred thousand years ago, all Halos were activated and all organic life vanished. My creators, however, did not do this without collecting enough healthy samples of all organic life forms in the galaxy, and after the Halo Array fired, machines were spread to all corners of the galaxy, reseeding it with the animals that once populated it. Life returned to the Milky Way, and before me stands proof that life was capable of sustaining itself and even evolving in various worlds. All races were restored to their planets save the Forerunners, their form of self-punishment for the crimes they committed against the Humans and the San'Shyuum, and in turn hampered San'Shyuum genetic codes to help them evolve quicker than most races with the potential to do so and made the Humans the Inheritors of the large empire they left behind and the Reclaimers of the Mantle of Responsibility. This was their final act of redemption."

The room stayed quiet for what felt like an eternity. She opened her mouth more than once attempting to speak yet only found her voice to be missing. She inhaled deeply, and finally gathered the strength to speak again, "Malevolence, Fleet Masters and prestigious Shipmasters, now you all know why we must separate from the Covenant. After this evidence was shown to the Hierarchs when they were notified of the existence of the Humans, they chose to wipe them out for their own corrupted gains. We have sinned against them for the past six months, and I am willing to lead all those whom would follow me into the separation of the Covenant Hegemony and to war because we cannot let these acts of treachery go on. They have fouled the name of the Covenant through blood spilt unjustly, a deed we must not turn our backs on. We must stand together and hail all those who would stand and fight with us for justice that has been ignored up until this moment. All those in this room who will be a part of this movement, state so in this moment."

All eyes were on her. She knew now was the time to invoke all those who would ally with her, but part of her knew that the information given to them all was still raw in their brains, and needed to use that to make sure they would side with her before dismissing Mendicant Bias as a False Oracle. Most in the crowd looked uneasy, waiting for the person in the room to claim allegiance to the influential Prophet. She knew the crowd would not come to her without someone to create the spark, and looking to her left she found that the four Fleet Masters were in a similar state. "I will follow you into the separation of the Covenant and the upcoming war to cleanse ourselves from the sins we have committed against the Humans."

Faith turned to the far right to find Malevolence looking at her with a look in his face that said everything but doubt or fear. She gave him a small smile, grateful for his immediate support. She heard a proud voice to her left say, "I will follow you and fight for you for the truth that has been hidden from the Covenant and for the sins we were forced to commit."

She felt a knot in her stomach become loose when she heard the Supreme Commander shout proudly that he would join her in the battles to come. "I will follow you and fight for you for the blood of our own warriors that has been spilt for all the wrong reasons in glory-less battles against a species whom did not deserve it."

The shout of the Chieftain Captain Tartarus made her feel even safer from the events that were to come. Soon after he voiced his allegiance to her cause, Rtas and Taurus followed. After all those in the front of the War Room proclaimed themselves as part of the cause, members of the audience began to rise to state their loyalty to them and their reasons, all being generally similar. Every one of the experienced soldiers in front of her were now under her command, and she realized that they were waiting for her first orders. She organized her trail of thoughts to say, "All Shipmasters and Fleet Masters will return to their posts on their ships, with the exception of the Minor Prophet of Malevolence, Supreme Commander 'Vadamee and Chieftain Captain Tartarus when we exit slip-space. When we arrive, we will station ourselves in the best defensive position we can, with the fleet that holds my kind protected yet still keeping enough space to attack as well. With the help of the Oracle, I will transmit its message out to all Covenant ships, stations and worlds. Afterwards, I will ask all of you to present yourselves and state that you will be fighting for the truth, starting with Supreme Commander 'Vadamee, Chieftain Captain Tartarus, Special Operations Commander 'Vadumee and Chieftain Captain Taurus."

Among the chatter and barks from the crowd she heard 'yes, your Honor' the most out of all other phrases. They began to file out, in sync with the rumble from the ships' withdrawal from slip-space. She headed to the War Room's only elevator, a safety measure so that not just any soldier could walk in it, with the others making room for her and the other five great leaders. The six of them, along with perhaps two dozen more Shipmasters, returned to the floor of the ship's bridge, departing ways with Rtas and Taurus. Faith and Malevolence, being flanked by Thel and Tartarus, reentered the bridge, now with a new look of determination in their eyes.

All head pilots were more confused when they arrived at a second location vacant of any planet, _of any system_, just like the first. They were about to report said disconcerting information but knew otherwise when they looked at the multitude of faces behind them. Not a single one of theirs looked surprised at the vastness of space and the lack of any signs of life around them, and instead looked like they were in control of all that was happening. The more experienced head pilots gave the others the signal to keep quiet. They knew more than well enough that they were about to receive an important message from them, and coming from some of the most important voices of the Covenant, it was hardly something overrated. Even then, they looked in awe when the Blind Oracle Mendicant Bias teleported itself next to the four. Faith gave it a look as if she was signaling something. In return, she received a nod from the floating orb. The Forerunner AI zapped a beam through its three eyes at the pilots' consoles, now projecting a large holographic screen with thousands of small screens, each in different locations.

She knew that now her face was live everywhere, from High Charity, to Sanghelios, to small shipyards scattered through Covenant Space. She cleared her throat, knowing that it was essential to make her message clear and strong yet somewhat peaceful. If she said it with rage, she may be mistaken for a heretic for sharing the same tone. She needed to call out to all allies in a way that they weren't threatened by her, yet they would fight by her.

"Citizens of the Holy Covenant, I call you for your aid, for we have committed vile acts of cruelty unknowingly against an innocent race. I was informed by the Holy Oracle Mendicant Bias that the Humans we have fought against for the past several months are not an affront to our Gods. It has, in fact, shown me the exact opposite, by presenting through solid evidence me that the 'Demons' hold the title of Inheritors to the glorious empire the Forerunners left behind. It also proclaimed that it had shown evidence that proved it correct to the High Prophets of Truth, Mercy and Regret, and they chose to bury the proof in fear of loosing their power. They have been using us as tools to destroy our Gods' prodigal sons for their greedy need of power of all that they see. What I am about to show you are records of what Humanity once was and why it was chosen as the rightful heir of the Forerunners themselves."

For the next 30 minutes, she waited as part of the evidence that was shown to her Shipmasters was transmitted to all Covenant facilities. Mendicant Bias argued along the way back to the bridge that showing it all would be far too long, and it was preferable to show only that the Humans were innocent. She could only imagine the rage of the Hierarchs and how they must be trying to disrupt the message, but to no avail.

When it was finally over, Malevolence declared, "This, my children, is why we must separate from the influence of the High Prophets, for we cannot be in the same group as those who would be willing to carry out such genocidal acts of war. I, Minor Prophet of Malevolence, declare myself no longer part of the once righteous Covenant, and oppose all its ideals against Humanity. I will follow the Minor Prophet of Faith's leadership to war for the truth. I invite you to the coordinates I will transmit in order for those looking for redemption to join us in our path of rectitude. I request you to leave planets with a majority of its residents still believing in the tainted Covenant. I implore you to take over the planets where you are the majority and hold your ground against the sinners of the once Holy Empire."

At that moment, Thel 'Vadamee stepped forward. "Sangheili, Unggoy, Lekgolo, brothers and sisters in steel, I, Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam, strip my surname of the suffix used for Sangheili members of the Covenant and declare myself a follower and warrior of the Minor Prophet of Faith. Follow us into the true path of nobility, and reclaim your honor corrupted by the bastards with the massive lust for power."

"Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, Yanme'e, champions of tenacity, I, Tartarus, strip the meaning of the suffix used for the Jiralhanae members of the Covenant and declare myself a follower and warrior of the Minor Prophet of Faith. Follow us into war, and take vengeance against the reason of our blood being spilt for the wrong cause, the Hierarch scums pretending that we have died for the Gods when we have only murdered their successors!" Tartarus continued. Sure enough, Rtas 'Vadum, Taurus and all the Shipmasters claimed to come to her cause, although after the other two Fleet Masters named their reasons, the Shipmasters simply affirmed their allegiance to her. And just like that, it was over. She looked at the head pilots, now _her_ head pilots, and said, "rearrange all three fleets, ours being in the center, in the best defensive position so that no side is left exposed. We will be holding our ground against all those willing to attack us."

"At once, your Honor." The group replied.

Faith turned around and faced the Minor Prophet, the Supreme Commander and the Chieftain Captain, "Fleet Masters, we are to hold our position for an estimated five hours to give time for all ships pertaining to our movement. However, we must stay alert of any hostile ships and fleets that will attempt to attack us."

"I agree with you, Your Honor, and I cannot help but feel distressed by the massive fleets that will be coming to us, especially from High Charity itself." Thel replied. Faith smiled at the notion, "That is not something to worry about, Supreme Commander, for the Oracle has already released a virus that has given a major power outage on the station. It will not attack life support systems so we do not lose any potential soldiers, yet its fleets will stay to make sure that no harm comes to the place now that it is weakened. The Oracle also created a fake recording to make it look as if we were attacking the station, which will be realeased within two hours. All those who will join us will have two hours to escape and come here, while most fleets still loyal to the Covenant will change course to High Charity and give us the chance to escape. Even after we leave this location in five hours, the virus will last for seven, so we have a relatively large amount of odds in our favor for today."

Both Fleet Masters, Malevolence and all head pilots who overheard her were surprised at the consistency and convenience of the plan. The three turned to Mendicant Bias, asking with their eyes how it made it possible. "Months of survey of all the systems and schedules in the station High Charity led to the planning of the best possible procedure with minimal repercussions."

The four nodded at that. For the next two hours, a massive amount of ships came to their aid, numbering in 2,732 of all shape and sizes, and much less attempted to kill them, being 353; although the largest amount of ships from either side coming at a time was 327. After losing no ships mainly due to them having vastly superior numbers and having Mendicant Bias confirm Friend or Foe tags, their mass fleet only grew in power, each time becoming even more impossible to penetrate it. Faith guessed most enemy fleets gave up hope when the cluster of ships was too large, becoming suicidal to merely be near the area. After the first two hours passed, there was a massive drop in enemy fleets attempting to kill them, while ships devoted to their cause still came in the same amounts. By the end of five and a half hours, when no more ships would come to either aid or attack them, the massive fleet consisted of 21,043 ships ranging from all shapes and sizes.

Faith decided to have the San'Shyuum fleet protected by another fleet five times its size and had it sent to a cluster of systems taken from the Covenant and now officially theirs. A good 10,000,000 San'Shyuum were aboard 116 ships, the extra 15 coming from those that fled from High Charity. For this to happen, Faith, Malevolence and the two Fleet Masters left the _Long Night of Solace_ for the captured mobile space station named _Unyielding Hierophant_. Along with it, she kept a fleet of the space station and 199 ships, 19 being CSO-Class Supercarriers and the others being Assault Carriers. After much talk with Mendicant Bias and several Fleet Masters of all kinds, the agreement was made that Faith, Malevolence, Thel, Rtas, Tartarus and Taurus would be its commanders. All ships that were not part of the San'Shyuum fleet or the six's fleet were sent in strategic sizes and numbers to all planets reclaimed by their soldiers to protect them. As for the fleet led by _Unyielding Hierophant_, although it was not a ship, it was what would lead them to the Human homeworld 'Earth'. Mendicant Bias provided said information only to the highest ranking personnel aboard the place to ensure the data would not fall into the High Prophets' hands. They set a course to the designated 'Sol System', and prepared for a true first contact scenario, apologies, and the attempt to forge an alliance. They all rested anxiously, knowing that the events that were to happen in the next few hours would completely change the course of the long war ahead of them.

**Author's Notes: Well, now you know what I meant by a colossal fleet. For those of you who don't like this, don't worry, most of them will be defensive fleets while only a couple of thousand will be taking action, and for those of you who do like this, I'm sorry but I'm not going to be as far-fetched as to say such a large amount of vessels would stay like that and leave worlds unprotected. Even then, if you still think that the numbers are too high, armada or no, then think of it like this: Humanity by the beginning of the 26th century has colonized around 800 worlds. That is one race. Let's say, however that the Covenant are more restricted to the amount of colonies they could have, so say as a total per species, they have around 600 worlds. Now multiply that by six. Now grab half of that. As a total, the Seperatists have around 1,800 fucking worlds, so having at least 10 ships per world plus orbital defenses to protect them wouldn't be bizzare. The 3,000 ship plus would be their own fleets for war, so a total of 21,000 ships for only a couple of hours before returning to their Separatist posts isn't inconceivable by me.**

**One last thing you guys, I've had the idea biting the back of my head for quite some time now, and I would much rather allow you all to decide in a poll I've just created. This poll will be active until the next two chapters are published, and that will take some time. I've had the idea of bringing certain elements of other stories/games/movies like Gears of War, Star Wars, among other examples, that could influence in the story in certain ways while not killing the original plot. So when I do this, I am open to both keeping true to the two main games of this fanfiction with either choice winning while if certain elements from other games could be added, they would affect parts of the Galactic Powers this story will have. I, personally, want this to happen because I've always had an idea of a mass plausible crossover in my mind, where I wouldn't make things unreal but rather have a probable timeline with a likely story with all ideas put in one. Anyways, the choice is yours. Like last time, i**t's been a pleasure writing this, and all constructive critics are welcome.****

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Hey, guys! I'm back and still kicking with a new chapter ahead. People in the reviews have received my mass-crossover idea with mixed feelings. Some are all for it, some all against, and some in an understandable middle-ground. When I created the poll, I had the intention of having multiple different species reside in the same universe and affect it in small yet important ways. Like I said in the last chapter, their presence in the story or not would not change the real plot I have for this story, but I would be taking in maybe a couple of different types of technologies they had (not MASSIVE ones) and incorporate them into society for different reasons and uses. But there are things I am not going to do if the mass-crossover idea is still rolling, like the force. I'm going to say it like it is, Star Wars is an AMAZING Saga and I enjoyed it a lot when I was a kid and I still do now, but to hell with The Force. If I want psychokinesis in my story, I would use Element Zero (which I will). Frankly, I don't buy the whole 'everyone has the Force in different levels' crap (save only on Star Wars itself), and E-Zero not only creates psychokinesis through dark matter (which is atleast a science-fiction explanation for the powers), but also gives the ability to create Singularities, different surges of power, etc. So the Force is a no-go. If I am doing the super crossover, I am planning on having the Twi'leks in the story and maybe one (just one) more REALLY humanoid race. Again, this has reasoning that will be shown in good time.**

**Update 11/01/15: I'm sorry to say for those of you reading this fic for a mass crossover story, I've decided to eliminate that idea as a whole. The thing about (normal) crossovers is that you can create a story based on two ENTIRELY different universes without it being a mess if the stories at least have some basic similarites (Halo and Mass Effect, for instance). Even the crossovers which are barely grasping the possible with two very different stories (say Game of Thrones and Halo) can still manage to be well-written and not some complete clusterfuck of a story which is impossible to read (though some push the limits and some even break them). Mass crossovers, though? They destroy whatever depth your story may have and any plot elements you could create through an endless barrage of information that obviously comes with including more than two universes in one story. In short: mass crossover is a no-go. Sorry for those dissapointed with my decision, but it's final and nothing's changing it.**

**PART 1- PROLOGUE**

**First Contact**

**07:09 – September 19th, 2525 – UNSC Hannibal**

Admiral Lord Terrence Hood, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations sat in his chair on the Marathon-Class Heavy Cruiser _Hannibal_'s bridge. He looked over at Earth, sitting perfectly in his view while his ship hovered near the prototype Orbital Defense Platform denominated _Cairo Station_. Besides the large fleet Earth had, the blueprints for the station containing the new Super MAC, a MAC gun theorized to be able to destroy or at the very least punch a hole through any ship, were being used to the fullest. The UNSC had already seen to it that the project was funded out of fear from an attack from the Insurrectionists, but now with a coalition of species against them, they wasted no time in the creation of the new planetary defense systems. The Admiral looked through a different window into the vastness of space, wondering how and why everything from the past few months came to be like this.

He thought of the Battle of Harvest and its outcomes, amongst the countless other battles and invasions many planets had reported taking lately. The ones that reported, at least. The amount of planets going dark on them was increasing at a very alarming rate. All he could think of was when they were going to be next. He knew that although he wanted to be in battle, fighting back against the diverse amount of aliens with his fellow soldiers to defend Humanity, protecting the ODP under construction was just as important, maybe even more so. Being an Admiral, he was well aware of how the war was progressing and one of the best courses of action that could be taken was heavily reinforce all major UNSC strategic colonies. Earth was on the top of that list.

The strange thing was, a couple of invasion fleets that were already defeating a small UNSC colony's defenses left the same way they entered immediately, completely ignoring the skirmish they were having against the colonists. There were multiple different accounts of similar situations that had happened, varying from planetary invasions, to a battle of fleets, to a mere few ships hovering over an unprotected planet. It didn't matter where they were, how many they were or what they were doing. In the end, they all left. This had intrigued all the heads of HIGHCOM, including him, the newly appointed Vice Chairman of the UNSC Defense Committee.

"Sir, we've got slip-space ruptures behind the Moon! None of their readings match UNSC ships!" One of the Ensigns shouted. _Damn it, I knew it was too good to be true,_ Hood thought. All around him, everyone was working on their respective stations, already preparing the ship's various weapons. "How many?"

"Probably more than a hundred, sir! Maybe a hundred and fifty, and some of them are huge! They seem to be about-" The Ensign cut her statement short when around 200 alien ships came to view. The real silencer however, was the fact that 19 of those ships could be well over 20 times the size of Hood's own Cruiser. And that was without counting the strange bi-spherical station, if he had to guess, that was at the head of the fleet. In his mind, he ran through all the scenarios possible, amongst them the evacuation of possible VIP targets on his homeworld, and the amount of ships they may be able to take down before dying. He felt the pit of his stomach grow deeper when he saw the fleet get close. With a combined effort of the ships guarding the ODPs under construction and the 7 ODPs that were now operational, they may have taken down a hundred, maybe with the aid of a few nukes from Earth. But part of him knew that there was little to no chance of survival, and if he was going to die, he would not go down without a fight.

"Prepare the MAC guns. Aim for the smaller ships, the ones with a chance of being taken out by us. I'll radio HIGHCOM to see if they have any warheads they could send to take care of the big ones. Ensign, I want you to radio all UNSC ships in the area." In the midst of the silence in the bridge, the Ensign responded quietly, "Of course, Sir."

"I won't lie to you, marines. From the look of this, I doubt barely any of us will survive. They stopped attacking our minor colonies and somehow found our homeworld, and it wouldn't be farfetched to say that they came well prepared. How they found our most symbolic stronghold, I don't know, and I probably never will. But I do know this. We will _not_ be giving into _any_ of their demands, we will _not_ be surrendering to them, and _like hell_ will we be going down without a fight! We may be outnumbered, but we are Humans! We've lived and survived more wars than there are teeth in a gator's jaws! When faced with overwhelming odds, we've _overcome_ those odds and we've survived! We are Humans, a race that will not be screwed with, and we'll show _exactly_why to these alien bastards today!" The whole ship, the whole _fleet_ cheered at the Admiral's speech. Now given newfound courage, ships from all around the planet began to head to the_Hannibal_'s position, with it being the flagship of the defense fleet.

"MACs at 90%, sir!" Another Ensign reported. The Admiral nodded, looking to his left and right and finding the legion of ships under his command prepping their weapons as well. _May God help us all_, Hood thought. He looked around to find one of the consoles operating the MAC guns to be at 95%. The Admiral looked forward, "Fire on my mark."

The UNSC ships, numbered in 120, now faced the Covenant fleet closing in their position, preparing to fire in a moments notice. He tuned out all voices and shouts of command, and for a few seconds contemplated on his whole life, and whether it had been worthwhile or not. He knew the Ensign notified him of the MAC guns being ready, but he enjoyed the last seconds of silence he would have in his life. He was about to give the orders, but at that moment, another Ensign shouted, "SIR! The aliens are transmitting a message on all frequencies! I think they're trying to communicate with us!"

"How so, Ensign?" Hood inquired. The man went through the comms attempting to decipher the message. After others joined him in the work, they finally finished the task. The Admiral noticed that they had stopped, and couldn't help but think that this was one last act of humiliation on the alien's part. He assumed that they were going to proclaim themselves victors of the battle they were about to go through, and if he was right, he was going to give the orders to fire anyways. What came next, however, was something completely unexpected. What was transmitted was a video, as was expected, but the fact that they could understand it without anyone translating the languages suggested they already knew of it. That would have surprised the whole crew had it not been overshadowed by what the message was about.

The broadcast began with an alien with an oval-like head, an elongated neck and a hunched body sitting on a floating chair. _Probably Anti-Gravitational_, Hood thought. To the alien's right was yet another more diverse looking alien. It's head was a bit hunched forward because of its neck, its jaws were four, and its skin looked scaly. This one stood strong, determination in its eyes, without any apparent bloodlust. To the alien in the throne's left was another different looking alien. This one, opposite to the second one, was filled with white fur along its albino-colored skin, with two fangs protruding from its jaw along with other smaller yet still sharp teeth. If the second alien resembled a reptile, perhaps an alligator of the sorts, the third resembled a large gorilla. All attention returned to the alien in the center, as it spoke with an relatively distinct feminine voice.

"Greetings, Humans. I am the Minor Prophet of Faith of the San'Shyuum species. The warriors to my sides are the Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam of the Sangheili species and the Chieftain Captain Tartarus of the Jiralhanae species." Said the alien, or San'Shyuum now, as she pointed her hands at the two other tall aliens at her side, now denominated Sangheili and Jiralhanae respectively. Hood was not sure where this was going after he expected a message of how they would lead the destruction of his kind, but dismissed any preemptive conclusions until after the video ended.

"I will not attempt to deceive you, Humans, the relations between yourselves and us has been less than healthy, in no small part because of us." 'The Minor Prophet of Faith' continued. Most were shocked that an apparent leader for the many species they had before encountered, say those words in apparent remorse. This was definitely something unexpected to the Admiral and all the soldiers aboard the ships. "We have detected a mass build up in energy in your ships as soon as our fleet entered the system even though you are nearly outnumbered two to one. I cannot help but notice the valor in you all to be willing to face such odds and even death before surrendering. A virtue that is in no way meaningless. Pardon my deviation from the subject at hand, the reason we have arrived to your homeworld is because we would like to repay you for all the war crimes we have committed. We have been taken for fools by our leaders and have been used as tools for false claims and pure lies. We know that most of you are not convinced by this, which is why we will show you different recordings of different planets, stations, even our own homeworlds, so you know that not all of us enjoy fighting and dying for an undeserved cause."

What happened next was that the video switched from being a simple screen with the three aliens with a purpled colored background to a view from what was probably a camera's. Many armored 'Sangheili' were in some sort of mess hall apparently talking. Suddenly, a holographic screen in the room appeared and, unless he was mistaken, Faith's face appeared speaking as blurry videos replaced her image yet not her voice. It was probably fast-forwarded because by the end of what may have been half an hour, all the 'Sangheili' activated what appeared to be some sort of plasma double swords. As they did, they all looked up and gave a collective roar. At first, Hood thought they were against her, but that changed when the next video was one of the 'Sangheili' on top of an Anti-Gravity chair. The camera changed to the viewpoint of another ship, titled 'Faith's ship', looking at an alien fleet approaching them, presumably with the Sangheili shown previously. Rather than engage in a firefight, the ships turned around when they got close enough and took a stance that looked like it was protecting Faith's own.

The next recording was one of a group of Jiralhanae on an open, apparently public, field. They were huddled around one of the screens, and towards the end, several roared like the Sangheili did. The main difference is that one of those in the group threw a knife and destroyed the monitor. The group that roared was apparently greatly angered by this, and soon a gory fight broke out between the group and the knife thrower. The group won, only to be found by a Jiralhanae platoon apparently supporting the knife thrower's ideals. It didn't take long for the platoon to massacre the group. The videos after that were more short lived, showing all out civil fights between groups of the same species. Some showed fast-forwarded taking of planets, whether they were in favor or against Faith was not known to Hood, while others showed ships fleeing. The ships ended up either joining a gargantuan fleet, for lack of better words, or being decimated by it. In the fleet, they recognized the mobile space station that the Minor Prophet of Faith was in at the moment, and figured this was the fleet in favor of going against the leaders of the alien Coalition.

After the long display ended, the screen returned to the original three. The Prophet began to speak again, "As you have seen, we have been torn by the Great Schism, and many are still undecided about which side to take. It appears most that will declare allegiance to our cause have already arrived, and those left will keep fighting for their old beliefs. The amount of fighters they have is greater than ours by a good 5%. But our species, being six the fighter races, have populations numbered in billions, the smallest being 23 billion. This percentage is worth 7.65 billion in troops, medics, tech experts and many more abled bodies capable of defeating us in the war that will come. That is why I would like to propose an alliance with your kind."

Hood hardly believed what he just heard. His weapons had been prepped for combat since the slip-space ruptures appeared behind Luna. The last thing he had expected was the proposal for an alliance between them and the enemies that had slaughtered them for the past few months. He knew that everything she was saying was far too complex to be a lie. The videos did look like they came from surveillance cameras, they had enough ships to kill them and destroy Earth yet they did not move and a small part of him was inclined to believe them. Maybe it was the thought of Humanity being constantly in a state of civil war that made him emphasize with the aliens, the reminder that Humanity was only now united purely out of survival. He believed the Prophet enough to accept what was being shown to him. An alliance, however, was something entirely different.

"I know this is something barely natural to hear coming from former enemies." Faith said. _Damn right_, thought Hood as the San'Shyuum continued, "That is why we would be more than willing to share our technology based on warships, medicine, weaponry, and anything else you may want or need. If we cannot form this alliance against the Loyalists, then perhaps we will all perish under their sheer tenacity and crude yet proficient strategies. If you are willing to make a deal, several ports for the mobile space station _Unyielding Hierophant_ are open to your ships, diplomats and security, and your fleet may accompany you as an added measure for your safety."

Hood went over all possible scenarios in his head. He could refuse to them even though they could become powerful allies. That is, if they aren't enemies in disguise. Then again, after seeing everything that had been shown to him in these past few minutes, he was inclined to believe otherwise. Looking at it logically, he had two real choices. Ally Humanity with the 'Separatist' coalition and gain the ways to heal the planets that had been burnt and create the ships they needed, or they could fend for themselves and not trust them. He knew which choice was more logical even though he didn't practically enjoy it. All he hoped was that the rest of HIGHCOM would see it that way, too. He raised two fingers to his right earpiece. "Did you get all that, Sir?"

"Yes Admiral, I did. The Security Committee is having a fit over this." Fleet Admiral H.T. Ward, Chief of Naval Operations, said over the comms. "Parangosky is torn between joining them and attacking. It's rare the time her interests and paranoia are in completely different positions. Truthfully, as cold as she may be, I feel like I'm in the same position as hers. For seven and a half damn months we've been fighting bastards with superior technology and numbers, leaving our only advantage to be strategies, and now they're offering the first two. Strauss thinks we should be prepping the warheads and blasting their asses to hell, Hogan thinks we need the numbers and Dellert says we should join them learn how to counteract the other half's plans if they were to give them to us. Parangosky has just declared herself opposed to the idea. She believes it would allow them to infiltrate our defenses and gain the location of all our stations. The only two votes left to finish this are ours, and if we tie, then we will ignore them and tell them to leave our territory before being forced to take immediate action. Anything you have in mind, Admiral?"

H. T. Ward was a more than trustworthy man in terms of virtues. In terms of military, he was currently the highest ranking officer of the UNSC and therefore its head. In terms of politics, he became the de facto leader of humanity in these times of war. Being the Chairman of the Security Committee, the Fleet Admiral and the Chief of Naval Operations earned him all those titles. Hood knew that this was the kind of man to listen to reason and never truly close himself to viable alternatives, so he figured he could speak freely of what he thought of it all.

"Frankly, Sir, I'm not sure what to say. Part of me is inclined towards joining them if they are willing to help us to pay us back for the mistake they did. I guess having so many wars on our kind's history, a lot of them fought for the wrong reasons, gives me enough empathy to look at things from their point of view. Personal opinions aside, having six or seven species to back us up in the long war ahead may prove to be more than useful, including in the long run. They seem to be willing to share technological advantages like shielding for our troops and ships, and that is fine by me. I vote in favor of forming a possible alliance, Sir."

Hood heard a sigh from the other side of the line. "Somehow you always get your points across charismatically. I vote in favor, the final results being 4 in favor and 2 against. If it's the smaller half of those alien that are willing to work with us for the well being of us all, then I say we'd stupid to waste an opportunity that'll probably come around after the next hundred lifetimes. Admiral, how close is your ship to their meeting point?"

"It's at the head of the fleet. They transported their own mobile space station so that we may dock there. All I need is the go ahead." From the other side of the line, Hood heard, "Then I trust you to be our shining representative, Admiral. If they are willing to compensate for the decimation of some of our colonies, then you need to make the most of it. This includes medicine, plasma technology, ship schematics, _hell_, anything that could help boost our power in this campaign."

"Yes, Sir!" The Admiral said. With that he finally took his index and middle fingers off of his right ear and looked at the pilots on the bridge. He ordered, "Set a course to the bi-spherical base designated _Unyielding Hierophant_. I would like an escort of the best ODST this fleet has to give to accompany us to the meeting room where I will probably find the three from the screen. Send word to Commander Jacob Keyes of the Halcyon-Class Light Cruiser the _Pillar of Autumn_ to come along and bring his ship's AI, Fitzgibbon."

"Yes, Sir!" The chorus of marines shouted. They knew that Admiral Hood was part of the Defense Committee. If he ever made a decision as important as this one, it was because the Committee had reached a result. Soon, the Hannibal and the Pillar of Autumn began to move towards the alien fleet while his own warships followed keeping a safe distance. The sleek, bulbous vessels that formed the alien armada moved giving a clear path to the space headquarters.

The UNSC fleet came to a halt when they were given Hood's signal so they could clear a path should relations go sour. The two lead human ships went forward still as some sort of plasma powered shields lowered, allowing them through so they could dock. Most of those aboard both ships were surprised and slightly fearful when the ship was pulled presumably by magnetism to the spots left to dock. It ended soon after the ships came to a stop and a bridge that looked like it was made out of light blue energy powered up and met both ships' gates. Hood felt the need to give one last instruction for all to hear in case this was a trap.

"Ladies, gentlemen. Soldiers of the United Nations Space Command. I look at you all as equals, as champions of Humanity willing to give their lives should they be asked. That is why my last directive to you all will not be easy, but nonetheless necessary. Right now, we will be meeting the apparent leaders of the alien insurrection who we will hopefully become allies with if everything goes right. But I would be a terrible Admiral if I were to assume that there is no chance of anything going wrong. If this is all a ruse, then I will have Fitzgibbon give my fleet the order to leave. Fitzgibbon will also notify the _Hannibal_and the _Pillar of Autumn_ to overload their reactors to destroy this station and all alien ships around. I know you aren't ground marines and that less than half of you barely know how to wield a simple pistol, but what I'm asking of you is to secure Earth's survival."

Everyone in the bridge stared at him silently but nodded their heads with determined eyes. The bridge's doors opened to a squad of ODSTs standing behind it. They all saluted him and the one in the front, presumably the leader, announced, "Admiral Hood? I'm Sergeant Felicia Sanderson. My troops and I are one of the two teams that will be escorting you and Commander Keyes to the meeting room."

"Very well. Sergeant Sanderson, I want you and your ODST to capture everything that you see on your helmets' cameras. Everything, from internal structure to types of weaponry can and will be put in an intelligence report to be given to the Defense Committee. We can't risk losing valuable Intel if this possible alliance goes to hell." The ODSTs replied a firm, "Yes, Sir!"

"Let's go, then." With that done, they all walked out and went through the passage that would take them to the doors of the ship. The Admiral couldn't help but notice how the energy 'bridge' was twice as long as the 5 meter wide span of the ship's gate. The walk was somewhat long, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of nausea when looking around him. It wasn't disgusting in any way,_hell_, it was the opposite. Everything about the gigantic docking port had a majestic feel to it, but the fact that everything there was so incomprehensively _huge_ was what bothered the seasoned Admiral.

The bridge extended for a good 100 meters in the direction of the gate's extension, then the bridge took a left for what may be 300 to 500 meters until it connected with the purple metal that made up the whole ship. The energy bridge itself was a kilometer above the lowest ground that gave room to the ship. If Hood calculated correctly, then it was around the same distance to the roof. The most disturbing fact was that his ship along with Keyes's barely filled the 6 by 3 kilometer long port. And it was all made of the same damn impeccable purple metalloid.

After a couple of minutes, he reached the metalloid middle ground, and looked to his right to find the Commander with his own ODST squad arriving as well. The two groups headed for one another until they closed the distance in between them enough to salute to the Admiral and the Commander. After finishing the act, Keyes immediately went to the point, "Sir, I received your orders through Fitzgibbon. I wanted to let you know they will not hesitate to blow this station to hell."

"It's reassuring to know that, Commander. In times like these, you can never be too precautious." The older man replied. Both spoke for a bit about the situation while the ODSTs were engaged in small talk, following along the lines of how big the place was. From a door on the front side of the port came an 8 foot tall Sangheili soldier with pure white armor and a helmet that resembled the double swords that they had seen in the videos. Both groups stopped what they were doing and started to fondle their weapons at the alien's appearance.

The Sangheili gave a bow and announced, "Ambassadors, I am Sangheili Ultra Eora 'Saleen. I will be the one to escort you all to the meeting room where the alliance can be forged so we may curve stomp our enemy to the ground. Follow me so that I may lead you to our Prophet and Supreme Commander."

The groups were slightly hesitant at first, but quickly resolved to follow the Sangheili 'Ultra' to the door from where she came from. The Admiral assumed it was a she after having have heard what the general male sounded like. It wasn't the most 'girly' voice in the galaxy, but it was a fitting counterpart to the thick, deep tone the males had. After going through the door, they walked a relatively short hall to a room, maybe an elevator, at its end. Hood was correct at his guess when after a few seconds of the Sangheili pressing holographic buttons with different symbols, the elevator moved downwards. After a few minutes of waiting, which was not surprising given the size of the behemoth of a space station, the doors opened to a rather large lobby.

The group started to walk through and noticed how there seemed to be many rectangular prism-like pods containing weapons of various shapes, sizes and colors. Looking around the room they also found several vehicles, some being slicker and rapid-looking while others being bulkier and massive. They also found a flurry of species walking around and carrying weapons and even some of the vehicles. They were the Sangheili, Jiralhanae and the other species they had looked at in the recordings, including a new bluish-purplish bulbous one that seemed to be caressing a data pad. Every soldier in the room stopped what they were doing to look at the group that had arrived.

Some avian looking ones that were about the same size as a normal Human looked like it was inspecting the group analytically, while some 4 to 5 foot tall ones were apparently shaking in fear. Some titanic ones that were twice the size of the ODSTs were unreadable, mainly because upon closer inspection they were clusters of worms. Other insect-like ones tilted their heads in what Hood could only guess was curiosity, while some Jiralhanae gave questioning glares at the group. The only ones that had a visible good reaction were the Sangheili who gave a bow when they caught sight of the crowd of Humans.

They were about to move along once again towards their destination until one of the 4 to 5 foot tall aliens shakily aimed a sort of energy pistol at them. It started to glow green as the energy amassed, and the ODSTs all targeted their respective weapons at the short alien and stood in front of the ambassadors to protect them. Now with the fear of dying, the furry, bipedal newcomer started hyperventilating as its hands shook more and more to the point of being almost completely unstable. After a few seconds of tension, the Ultra shouted, "Stand down, Unggoy Minor!"

"Bu-But the demons are on board and-and they're gonna kill us and-and-" The 'Unggoy' replied in a squeaky voice before it was interrupted by the Ultra's.

"I repeat, Unggoy Minor, _STAND DOWN!_" She shouted even louder.

The Minor with the inhaler on his mouth shook even more as it aimed its weapon. Afterwards, it closed its eyes and looked away, still quavering as it pointed its pistol at the group. It was probably about to fire when they all heard the fluttering of wings as they found one of the insect-like aliens that looked at them in wonder landing next to the fearful Minor. With one of his hands he grabbed the Unggoy's and pushed them down until they aimed at the floor, no longer a hazard to the group. It shook its head in a consoling way, looking directly at the frightened soldier, and took the weapon from its hand. In the bug's hands, the weapon's built up energy slowly drained until it returned to its original state. When the insect was done, it gave the weapon back to the Minor and a comforting pat on its shoulder.

The 'Unggoy' apparently realized what it had done and immediately got on its small knees, half sobbing, "I-I-I'm sorry, U-Ultra 'Saleen. It's ju-ju-just that so ma-many of us have, have DIED and I thought-I thought-"

The Sangheili looked down tiredly and gave an audible sigh. If he were to guess, Hood would say this was relatively common and not very enjoyable. Eora looked up again and spoke more calmly, "Minor Cleg, please escort Minor Tepet to the infirmary so that he may get proper remedies that will help him clear his mind."

The bug-like 'Cleg' replied in a relatively strange vibrating voice, "Of course, Officer."

He took the fear-filled Unggoy by the hand and led him to a door on the far right of the long hall. Although the tension was thick in the air, all of those in the room had the decency to return to what they were doing. Commander Keyes chose to speak up then, "Is this going to be a problem, Ultra Saleen?"

"No, ambassador, I personally assure you that it will not. You will have to forgive Tepet for his large amount of fear around a potentially dangerous group of beings." The Ultra answered. Sergeant Sanderson, quite pissed, said, "Hey, we weren't the ones that started pointing weapons at whatever we could have considered the enemy, and we definitely _did not_ start a galactic scaled war on you all!"

Again, the workers and soldiers around them stopped what they were doing giving them various different looks of guilt, anger, fear, curiosity and shame. Looking around him, Hood knew he had to speak his next words carefully, "Sergeant, don't start conflict around where everyone is trying to avoid it. That's an order."

The Sergeant fell a chill in her spine when she knew she had done something less than pleasant to the Admiral and quickly remembered the position they were in. "Sorry, sir! It won't happen again!"

"I know it won't, Sergeant. I know where this is coming from. Ultra Eora, would you kindly tell us why that 'Unggoy', if I'm correct, pointed a weapon at us in pure terror when I'm sure everyone here knows that we're trying to create an Alliance between us?"

"Of course, ambassador, but let me do so along the way to the meeting chambers. It is impervious that we do not waste time when none of us can afford." The Sangheili replied curtly. Hood nodded, thinking along the same lines as the female officer.

The group began to walk forwards once again, Eora in the front as they made their way to yet another elevator, this one being a much darker shade of purple. When they entered, Hood felt a bit uneasy since were it not for the lights, he would have thought the floor was the bottom of a very deep pit. It started moving upwards, then _sideways_, and even diagonally as the strange place carried them towards their next checkpoint. Eora, now in more confined chambers asked, "Ambassador, does your kind have any beliefs towards a great deity or deities and a life beyond death?"

"More or less. About half of Humanity remains believing certain religions, the most common one called Christianity, while the other half is atheist." He responded.

"Atheist? What does the word mean?" Eora inquired curiously.

"One of the most early civilizations my kind once had were called the Ancient Greeks. They founded most of the bases of knowledge we have and use today, and among the words they created, one of them was Theo. Theo was their word for what we call 'God' now, and since those times, there were those who believed in nothing that wasn't proven. Since being religious meant to have faith, the group that did not believe in Gods or an afterlife called themselves atheists, the 'theist' part meaning believing in Gods, and the 'a' part cancelling it."

"Interesting. Now can you imagine your entire race believing in a single religion?"

Hood tried to imagine a Humanity with all their religious ideals being the same. It was very hard, but eventually he said, "Yes."

"Good. Now can you imagine that religion being so powerful that for many things to work, they must run on faith, the absolute leaders of your kind are also your highest religious leaders, and all those who believe otherwise should be burnt to ashes?"

Hood found himself imagining a Humanity that had imposed Christianity on everyone and the need to believe in Christ and Jehovah being as important as it was in the medieval times. Again, it was hard, but Hood nodded again.

"Okay. Now try imagining that society running on the pillars of faith, the religion being one of the few ties that kept _everyone_ in the same group. Now imagine watching truth with your very own eyes, truth that denies _everything_ you once believed in, the same beliefs that you and everyone you know grew up with, and that it says you were doing everything for your religion was wrong and had the opposite meaning of what you thought it actually was."

Hood imagined Humanity again. He imagined quite easily the discord and conflict such a revelation would achieve, and found it to be the one scenario that was genuinely possible because it _had_happened before. Now he felt he was getting a firm grasp on why the alien Coalition they had fought with was now a house divided, probably to never unite again.

"For centuries, we've, more than known, _depended_ on the religion we've kept. The more intellectual and reasonable of us have been able to accept the truth without making a real fuss. However, the less educated workers and soldiers of our Covenant have been much more stubborn with the original beliefs, and although they will not turn on us, they are still having a thoroughly difficult time accepting the bitter truth as it is. There have already been several cases similar to yours and the truth was spread only few hours ago." Ultra 'Saleen continued.

"Pardon me, Ultra Eora, but did you say _a few hours ago_?" Hood asked in all seriousness.

"Yes, I doubt we haven't even reached 24 hours since the very beginning of The Great Schism, as we are now calling it."

"So I wouldn't be wrong if I were to say that this 'Great Schism' is the cause of many of your alien fleets disappearing from worlds we nearly lost and against fleets of our own where you could have won."

"Quite right, ambassador, most of those ships came to defend the Prophet of Faith's own fleet and went to join us in our new cause. The few that attacked were completely annihilated thanks to an ally of ours that picked up their Friend or Foe tag before they even dropped out of slip-space. That ally's the same one that showed us the truth of the Humans' innocence and the multiple lies and deceit in our belief."

"Who is this ally? Humanity owes him a damn big 'thank you', and I would like to see to it that he or she gets the recognition that he deserves." _Besides_, Hood thought, _I'd like to know how in the hell that 'ally' managed to do such a thing_.

"That is not for me to say, ambassador, but rest assured. When you arrive, you will meet it yourself." The Ultra said.

_It? It must be an AI_, the veteran thought. Soon, all talk ended as the strange mode of transport came to a halt and the door opened to a very small hall with a door at its end.

"We're here." Eora said.

**Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. I think we all know what's coming next chapter, and I'd like to thank 15delgizzij for his/her idea on the common foot soldiers and workers of the Covenant Separatists being more inclined to keep believing in The Great Journey. It's more than logical and it hadn't really occured to me, but it was great and helped me imagine poor Tepet's role in this chapter. Why it was an Unggoy that made the first unreasonable move and not the others I will explain in the next chapter.**

**The Almighty Afroduck's Mother,**

**All Hail**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Ladies and gentlemen, I've returned with another chapter. I'm sorry for taking longer than usual, but for the next chapter, I'll try to update a bit faster (Though I doubt I'll be able to return to updating every 5 days). The poll on the mass crossover is now over (with those in favor winning), and you will see at the end of this chapter the only 3rd story elements you will see in a very long while (and it's just a mention). Without further ado, let's begin.**

**Update 11/01/15: Again, the mass crossover is a no go. Read the bottom update.**

**PART 1- PROLOGUE**

**The Alliance**

The crowd of 11, including the Sangheili, stayed in place rather uncomfortably. Eora, knowing they were more than nervous for very good reasons, spoke once more, "Before you, ambassadors, is one of the two control rooms of the _Unyielding Hierophant_. There you will find the leaders of our Coalition of Separatists. Remember that it is a sign of upmost trust from their part to expose themselves like this in such a delicate situation. They want more than most, if not all, to conceive perhaps the best means of survival for all of us."

"And we will be showing them the same courtesy. However, I can't say with true honesty that I'll completely trust any of you yet even if this is going to work out." Admiral Hood responded, looking directly ahead of him. Eora nodded her head, fully understanding. "I would not be foolish enough to ask that of the race who has suffered our uncontrolled wrath. I would, however, like to tell you of who you are going to meet on the other side of these doors, so that you may be ready to discuss with them the implication of an Alliance knowing well enough their individual mindsets."

"The Minor Prophet of Faith will be the kindest and the one with the largest will to make this possible, no matter what it may cost her. She was the first to know the truth of our sins, and the one to lead the rupture of the Covenant, and the one most keen on keeping deaths to a minimum. The Minor Prophet of Malevolence is not far behind, he too strives for peace and equality and would more than willingly accept any reasonable proposals you may have.

"My kinds' leaders inside of there are Supreme Commander 'Vadam and Special Operations Commander 'Vadum. They, like my kind, are both completely honor bound and will likely be the second race holding the strongest push for our concord. They will attempt to be understanding, and being cunning as they are witty, they are perhaps going to be the ones to formulate a solution to this Alliance's issues.

"Those are four of the six major leaders we have, and the others are numbered in four to possibly seven or eight, one or two maximum leaders per species. Those species are the Kig-Yar, Unggoy, Yanme'e and Lekgolo. While I'm not sure what exactly they have in mind, being logical and pragmatic should be amongst their traits to have earned a position in that room. If they are willing to put grudges and fears aside, they may allow this accord to be."

The group of Humans had been listening intently, Hood and Keyes especially concentrated. Keyes, after knowing the Ultra was done talking, finally brought himself to ask, "You described four of_six_ major leaders. Anything you can tell us about the other two that can be useful to us?"

Eora visibly tensed up and held silence when she heard the Commander's question. Hood could tell there was something about them and her that did not sit right and felt weary of it. He saw in the corner of his eye Keyes opening his mouth to presumably press more on the matter and gave him a look that said 'drop it'. Keyes in turn closed his mouth and nodded. Eora finally found her voice again and stated, "It would be best not to keep the Prophets and Commanders waiting any longer."

"Very well." Responded the Admiral coolly. The group finally walked forward, Eora in the front, and stopped at the door glowing in a red hue. Hood assumed that was an indication that it was locked in comparison to the other purple-glowing doors that opened automatically when they passed through. Once more, a holographic sphere made an appearance to which the Ultra responded by pressing the palm of her right hand against it. After a few seconds, the door glowed a bright white before turning purple, and opened.

From outside the room, Hood could already tell it was quite large and perfectly circular. If his eyes hadn't failed him yet, then it had a good 50 meters worth of a diameter. At the exact center was yet another circle, this seeming to be a sort of holo-table which seemed to be projecting the positions of the Separatist and UNSC fleets. The thought that they may be prepared to give orders to engage their ships against his made a chill run down his spine, not wanting to think of what would happen in such a scenario. Then again, he already had a back up plan formulated that could be the best way to erase the station and various enemy ships and hopefully leave Earth unharmed.

The holo-table, other than being round, was not that different from the ones the UNSC used. It had the purple metalloid railings around it so that people could lean on it and examine what was depicted in the center. The hologram itself was a neon green, with a rather accurate representation of a map of the zone the mobile base was in and the ships surrounding it. The sight to him wasn't one of mindboggling technology or anything truly astounding, but something that he could see Humanity accomplishing within a decade or two of refinement of their own version.

The circular room had around 18 Sangheili Guards with crimson armor and glowing, orange assets, and 2 with white armor and the same type of assets. They all had long, sharp spears in their hands and looked emotionlessly and wordlessly at the center of the room, no doubt guarding the VIPs in the center.

True to her word, there were the two San'Shyuum Prophets looking at the holo-table on the opposite side of the door so that they could face the entrance. Hood immediately recognized Faith from the videos that had been sent to his fleet. To their right were the Sangheili Commanders, one of which he recognized from the video as well. To the Sangheili's right were two of the small aliens pertaining to the species that had one of its 'Minors' nearly attack them. To their right were two of the titanic aliens that they had seen when walking in the station. Unlike the soldiers, however, their armor seemed more… elegant, per say, and they looked to be made of many smaller worms instead of fewer larger ones. Even then, they were even larger than the ones they had encountered in the previous halls.

To the Prophets' left were two Jiralhanae, one of which had appeared in the video as well as the Sangheili Commander. To their left were the avian analytical aliens that had inspected them on the lower levels, and to their respective left were two _large_ versions of the insectoid species that saved them from a rather troublesome confrontation with the nervous Unggoy. All were looking, maybe even glaring at the group outside of the door. The positioning of the different species around the counter left them with a spot apparently well reserved for the Commander and the Admiral in the holo-table's side facing the door to enter. Eora immediately bowed her head and hit her fist right against her left breastplate as she said, "Hierarchs, I have brought you the Human ambassadors that will be negotiating the session you are about to open."

Most of those in the room, not counting the Sangheili guards, bowed their heads in return. Faith spoke, "Thank you, Eora. I trust you have not encountered any difficulties along your path here?"

The Ultra hesitated a little before replying, "The Unggoy Minor Tepet had his plasma pistol aimed and ready to shoot the ambassadors, and he might have done so were it not for Yanme'e Minor Cleg. I have already sent Tepet to the closest infirmary so he may get calmatives to help him relax and set his mind straight."

Hood now inside the room yet still not on the spot reserved for them could see many who were disappointed or angry with the news. The Prophets, Sangheili and Yanme'e looked exhausted while the Lekgolo and Kig-Yar shook their heads. The Unggoy in the room crossed their arms and faced the ground, looking very much ashamed when hearing such an announcement. The Jiralhanae shared two different expressions. One had a look that said just how many ways he was thinking of torturing the grunt, while the other simply sighed with a look of empathy. This time, the only other San'Shyuum they had so far encountered spoke in an old, male, raspy voice.

"You have done the right thing by sending the anxious Unggoy to the infirmary rather than have his hand cut off as others would have done. We are in times where it is imperative that we stand together without having to fear one of us stabbing us in the back." Eora nodded, smiling a little at what the Prophet had said. The Prophet of Faith took a moment to ponder the situation and respectively said, "Eora, can I assume that you've informed the ambassadors and their escorts as to who we are?"

The Sangheili moved her head a bit, tilting it from side to side. Sergeant Felicia took the liberty of stepping forward and stating, "We were informed that there were six major leaders, four of which are Supreme Commander 'Vadam, Special Operations Commander 'Vadum, and the Minor Prophets of Faith and Malevolence. We were also told that there were one or two representatives in this room for the Lekgolo, the Yanme'e, the Kig-Yar and the Unggoy."

Hood looked around to find somewhat disapproving looks on the faces of the leaders while the Jiralhanae shared once again different looks. The one with the orange eyes was scowling with his (presumably _his_) fangs sprouting out of his mouth. The other with blue eyes had his (_again_ presumably) with his jaw open in apparent shock. The strange thing was, while she did not understand alien emotions and faces very well, the blue-eyed ape's reaction looked somewhat fake.

"Is this true, _Sangheili_ Ultra?" The one the orange-eyed ape asked while putting emphasis on the word 'Sangheili'. The Sangheili straightened up and stood strong in her position, but even then he could tell that she was nervous. "Yes, Chieftain Captain Tartarus."

_A fitting name_, Hood thought. The albino-furred gorilla looked like he could rain hell on anyone he wanted to.

"Are you pissing on the Jiralhanae by mentioning every race's place BUT ours?" the brute growled, glaring daggers at the Ultra.

"Of course not, Chieftain Captain."

'Chieftain Captain Tartarus' was about to talk again, scowl deepening, when the other Jiralhanae grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped that from happening. The 'Chieftain' turned around to find the other Jiralhanae put a finger to his lips and let our a shush. Everyone in the room, without exceptions, was surprised at the jest coming from one of the high representatives of an entire race to another of the same. When Tartarus was about to say something to the other ape-looking creature, the other repeated the act.

The blue-eyed one then said, "In that case, Ultra 'Saleen, I am ordering you to accompany Tepet and get checked out by medics along the way. If you can't remember a nine-foot, white-furred, psychotic, _gorgeous_ Jiralhanae like myself and an oversized, short-tempered, shit-smelling prick with a mouth too big for his head, then perhaps it is best that your senses are tested. I, personally, would find either one rather hard to forget."

It shocked almost everyone beyond words hearing what the pale gorilla had just said, save 'Tartarus' who just groaned and sank his face in his hands. Hood turned around when he heard quite a few ODST coughing indiscreetly, thankfully none of which were Felicia or the other squad Sergeant. The six were all looking at the ground, pretending something undesirable entered their throats_just_ as the Jiralhanae finished talking. Felicia brought forward her elbow and threw it back and hit one of them, shutting the lot up. The foul-mouthed giant then looked in their direction with a knowing smile.

"Ah, I see my comedy finally goes unwasted." He then turned around to face the Chieftain, who still had his face in his hands. "I win, Tartarus. It hasn't even been five minutes and I've already cracked up more than half of them! As for my prize, I'll be having some fine cupam, one that has at least a 60% of alcohol in it. Heh, I could get used to this. Next thing I'll know, you'll be calling me a Hierarch and kneel _just_ so you can kiss my ass."

"Fuck you, Taurus. I'll be in an eternal hellhole drowning in piss before such a thing happens, and if I ever _do_ get close enough to your shithole, then I'll make sure to castrate you and do the Jiralhanae a favor." Tartarus retorted angrily. Taurus barked a couple of loud laughs, still smirking at his brother with his own eyes vivid as ever. Malevolence looked like he was fuming at the sight of the kind of attitude shown in the whole scene displayed before him, while Faith looked more than nervous about what may happen in between the two.

Tartarus looked around the room to find everyone looking at the two of them, then proceeded glare at his sibling and yell, "Damn it, Taurus! Maybe if we were among close brothers in steel could this type of behavior would be encouraged, but right now we're trying to form an alliance to ensure our victory against the bastards that used us!"

After finally regaining some coolness in him, Taurus looked at the other Chieftain Captain with a rather serene face and said, "Tartarus, you may be my brother, and I do love you, but pull your head out of your ass for a minute, would you? If we just bash our fists against the holo-table and roar something along the lines of _'We will kill EVERYONE who opposes us, then eat their hearts and shit out their souls!'_, then attempting to form an alliance would be nothing more than wasted time, I doubt they would want to ally themselves with what they may think of as savages. Chances are I'm going to go by the Humans' books as an animal who knows nothing of silence or decency, but that would be considerably better than the cold, impassive alien leaders most of us are probably perceived as in their eyes."

Hood, still not sure about what to say in yet another unexpected position, looked around him to find many taking the sailor of an ape's words very seriously. They seemed to finally let themselves go a bit rather than keep up with the humorless demeanor. The two 'Unggoy' served as an example, letting their arms hang by their sides rather than keep them crossed. Many followed them by placing themselves in more relaxed and less ominous poses.

"While I argue that such language is not appropriate for this type of meeting, Chieftain Captains, I understand and agree with the point you managed to get across, Taurus." Faith said, still in a peaceful tone. The giant with azure pools for eyes nodded quietly, and spoke now in a very serious tone, "Thank you for your service, Ultra 'Saleen. You may leave."

At the 'thank you', Hood noticed perhaps a bit of restrained shock in his escort's face, as if it were something knew. Then again, the clues around him leading him to think that there was some sort of tension between the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae could prove his thoughts true. Eora bowed her head, whispering 'Hierarchs', and turned around to make her departure.

Hood gave a look to Keyes and slightly shifted his head to indicate him to accompany him to the holo-table to begin the hopefully prosperous meeting. The Commander nodded and the two walked forwards to fill in the gap left around the purple railings. The ODST instinctively stayed behind with their weapons looking at the ground yet still in their hands should things go awry. Faith took the liberty of saying, "I assume you have many questions for us, ambassadors. Please feel free to ask whatever you may want or need to know."

"I was hoping you'd say that. I'm very interested in knowing two things before we can talk about any peace treaty or accord between us. How did you manage to know both our main language and our homeworld's location? Hell, it's only been a little over half a year, and any and all types of information essential to us in this war have been erased in the places we've lost so far. I would have asked the Ultra about the language, but I'm guessing that she would say because you have adapted some alien translators you all use to our native dialect." Hood deduced. Most were surprised at his intuition and his race's safety precautions, but not too much seeing as how even through the beginnings of this long fight, they already knew how to put up a good fight.

With a bright flash, a sort of metallic, glowing sphere appeared in the space between the two San'Shyuum. It then started speaking in a low, male, soothing voice. "I am responsible for that."

"You're an AI?" asked Hood. Maybe this was the thing responsible for the events taking place today.

"Yes, but before you ask, I was not created by any of the species in this room. I am one of the remnants an ancient race the alien Coalition the Covenant called Gods." The 'smart' AI spoke. Hood then decided to get the other doubt he had out of the way, "Then I can assume that it was you or another AI of the same class as you that showed 'the truth' to half the Covenant."

"That is partially correct, though there are very few AI like me left scattered in the galaxy, I have not encountered any so far. And as for the evidence that shows Humans to be the opposite of the 'Demons' most claim your kind is, I made sure to broadcast it to any and all Covenant planets, ships and stations. Whether they believe it or not is out of my control." The AI answered.

"Do you have a name, title or designation?" Hood inquired on.

"Mendicant Bias. I am the most advanced AI designed by the race called the Forerunners. If the 'smart' AI in the Commander's pocket truly is third-generation by your race's standards, then I would classify as an eight-generation." Hood was surprised at how advanced the three-eyed sphere was, and even more to find out it had detected Fitzgibbon's presence in the room. This surprise was shared by all those around the table, and looked expectantly at the second ambassador. Hood looked at Keyes and gave him a nod, indicating him to show the Human AI. Keyes nodded as he took a chip out of his pocket and laid it on the table.

A miniature holographic man appeared hovering over the chip's center. He looked to be old, wearing a rather fancy military navy-blue suit, his whole body seeming to be different shades of blue, ranging from cobalt to azure. The AI then spoke in an old British accent, "It seems I have been detected. May I request as to how you managed to do so when my concealment has worked the rest of the way here?"

"The hard drive you are in gave minimal signs of activity, therefore gave off the least amount of energy as possible. However, that 'little' amount of energy was more than enough for me to pinpoint and conclude that you are an AI, what type or class of AI you are, and what information you had stored in you."

The Admiral may as well have felt a freezing cascade drop on his back. Right now, there was one thing he needed to know. "Then you know about our makeshift protocol."

"I am aware of your contingency plan, though I have not disrupted any signals or communications between your AI Fitzgibbon, the_Hannibal_and the_Pillar of Autumn_. Truthfully, I doubt anything negative of true importance may sprout from this, and I calculate a 97.6% chance that things will go as planned."

Hood looked at the floating chunk of metal knowing it spoke the truth. He could tell it didn't run on faith and had no intentions of lying. A bigger part of him was relieved not only that his backup plan could still be put to use, but rather that an AI capable of measuring well chances and probabilities had already calculated that the alliance would be almost completely valid. He did not know what it was about the AI that made him feel like it was something more than trustworthy, but he had a feeling he would find out in this session.

"Now that that matter is settled, Mendicant Bias, I would like to know how you know our homeworld's location and our language. Afterwards, I'd also be interested in seeing this 'truth' that convinced billions to separate from such a powerful Hegemony and a good half of them attempt to form an alliance with us."

"The three have the same answer, however, this answer is long and complex. It, in fact, explains why there is little to no evidence of the Homo Sapiens or any of its genetic cousins before an estimated 112.54 hundred thousand years ago."

"Fair enough. Fitzgibbon, make sure you get everything. "

"Yes, sir."

What happened next was a half hour of Mendicant Bias explaining a brief version of the known history of the Ancient Humans and the two large wars they fought in those times. The AI showed them how an 'unknown' enemy, a product of the cruel Precursors, crippled the Ancient Humans, causing them to lose an unintentional war against the Forerunners. It showed how after the Forerunners erased all evidence of the empire Ancient Humanity once had when they won the war and later fought the flood, they regretted the punishment they gave to said civilization and shunned themselves to extinction after activating the Halo Array. Mendicant Bias made sure not to leave out how it was partly responsible for guiding the Sentinels and Reseeding Machines to each homeworld throughout the whole galaxy and how Humanity now had the title of Inheritors and Reclaimers.

"This is the evidence that was shown to the Covenant. One of the major reasons you have the support of dozens of billions of soldiers coming from several diverse species. Now you know how I am aware of your homeworld's location and after learning the previous languages used by the Ancient Humans, finding a pattern between that and the dialect you use now was simple. This allowed for all those with translator implants to be able to speak and understand your language."

No one in the room talked for what felt like an eternity to Hood. The fact that Humanity may have once been one of the strongest galactic powers in the _entire_ Milky Way was practically unbelievable to him. Hell, he was still shocked that every system in the galaxy were devoid of life at one point. He looked at Fitzgibbon and asked, "Did you get everything?"

"I'm already sending it to HIGHCOM."

"Good. They'll want to know everything about it."

"I trust you now understand our motives in helping your kind?" asked Faith from the opposite side of the holo-table.

"Yes. Now that I have those questions out of the way, I'd like to know how common the incident that happened in the lower levels of this station really is within each species in relation to us Humans." Hood continued.

"I was sure you would want to know of that. Many of our lower ranked soldiers had a firm belief in-"

"Ultra Eora filled us in about how many of the less cultured parts of your species are taking the truth very hard. If we're going to work together, I need to know that my men will not have their lives endangered by their own companions."

"I am glad that you are aware of our rather 'delicate' situation, it saves us all quite some valuable time. As for how the species individually are going to view you, I am sure that our own leaders can brief you what you will need to know. Speaking for my kind, the San'Shyuum, I can guarantee you that we are the least likely to betray you in the battlefield. Mainly, this is because almost all of us accepted the innocence of your race thanks to the evidence and Malevolence's and my own word. Besides that, we number in 21 million, and only 10 million are on our side. Rest assured, while my kind is not a race created for groundside fighting, we are partially responsible for the commercialization of shielding units in the Sangheili, who before us only had them for their highest ranks. I am sure that we could find suitable tech experts, engineers and scientists that may help you if you want any type of automations that we have while you don't, among other types of technologies."

Hearing Faith's words was music to the Admiral's ears. The thought of personal shielding units for his troopers, maybe especially advanced ones for the already legendary SPARTANs, already took off a lot of weight off of his shoulders. It was then that one of the two Sangheili, the one in the video, started to speak.

"The Sangheili may be shocked to hear the recent news of the light that was shed on the truth, but they will be more than willing to serve and aid your kind, no matter the ranks. We are an honor-bound race, and the crimes we have done against yours is nothing short of disgraceful to us. We will do everything in our power to see that justice is done." The reptilian alien spoke honorably and shamefully.

The flaming-eyed Taurus then chose to speak next, "Truthfully, the Jiralhanae are mainly with us because of my brother, several other Chieftain Captains, the Prophets of Faith and Malevolence and myself. They can lead well and wage war remarkably, but fighting under the command of another species is hardly common. Right now, the vast majority of our race wants nothing more than the taste of vengeance against the Prophets that manipulated us for their own needs. Because of that, we are willing to work alongside all other races, or at least most of us are. Perhaps a squad of your kind can lead a platoon of our Jiralhanae if they manage to prove their strength to the platoon."

Hood nodded at that, and could not help but feel that the excluded race the Chieftain hinted at were the Sangheili. The more he listened, the harder the proof became. His trail of thoughts came to an end as one of the 'Lekgolo' started to speak what sounded like hundreds of voices clustered into one, "We Lekgolo are well aware of the truth, as hard as it may be to fully understand it. Part of the eggs we lay contain the memories of our direct procreators and others of our distant procreators. It is not easy for us to allow ourselves to completely accept reality as it is for this reason. What I can say is though there may be times where several different Mgalekgolo are all in doubt and lost in a trance of their thoughts, they will not turn on you."

"As for our Yanme'e, they are among the least likely to attack you, and probably part of one of the species most open-minded about working with, over, and even under Humanity. While other species have very individual mindsets save for the unique case of the Lekgolo, the Soldiers I birthed and their Worker offspring are undoubtedly loyal to me and the King. This is because all Yanme'e that descend from us have a special telepathic connection to us. This is what allows our species to work under a great hive-mind. The idea is complex, because while we are all born with a purpose and we can be categorized into Kings and Queens, Soldiers, and Workers of different variants, we all maintain individuality. Every Soldier has a name, a distinct genetic code and a different face, as do the children they bear among each other. The one thing they all have in common is the named telepathic relation all of them have with their King and Queen. When they hear our voices, they heed and listen. They have irreplaceable loyalty to us, so you can be sure that should we say the words 'follow the Humans into battle and treat them as equals', they will undoubtedly fight and, should they need to, die alongside you. And should this Alliance be successful, you can count on us to make them place loyalty on you." Spoke the large insectoid, probably Queen Yanme'e. Having the trust and cooperation of a race naturally numerous and capable of flight gave a major boost of confidence in the Admiral.

Next came one the Unggoy with golden armor. Even in its squeaky voice, Hood could tell that the furry alien was completely serious and in no irresponsible manner. "The Unggoy are a… _delicate_subject. Not too long ago, we lead a rebellion against the Covenant because they used us as cannon fodder, subjects for target practice, and other less than profitable spots. It's only recently we've gained the right to be trained as true soldiers, and even more recently being capable of ascending to the new position of a Commander. Our kind's mindset used to be 'when in doubt, flee' because of our lack of combat training and our nonexistent courage. The fact that an Unggoy soldier nearly attacked an armed group of soldiers, nine of which were _very_ well armed is almost as good of news as it is terrible. In all truth, my kind is still in a transition state between being cowardly and good soldiers, and with all the tension it can cause, the recent change of views hardly help them. I will do my best to personally convince as many Unggoy soldiers of the truth as I can, but in the meantime, I strongly advice you not to put your full trust in my kind as of yet."

"I understand." Replied Hood. If what the Commander said was genuine, he had to give credit to the Unggoy who managed to rebel against a state of hellish slavery, and would have to wait to truly judge the race before making premature conclusions. _At least he has the decency to tell the truth_, the man thought. He turned to the last of the species to speak, awaiting a report as to how their race and Humanity could collaborate or nor.

One of the well armored, avian looking aliens straightened up to look at him before saying in a probably feminine voice, "Us Kig-Yar are on a middle ground with your race. Though we are, or were, part of the Covenant, we were so mainly because of the economic gains. The truth of the manner is that very few of us are in shock of the evidence that was shown to the Covenant and your kind. We were the only species that was a part of the Covenant yet did not share its beliefs and religion. Our race, in general, could be described as pragmatic. We often judge something by its gains and its losses to deem it worth using or not. The Kig-Yar with me view your race just as any of the others that you can find in this room. They will not judge a soldier until they see him or her fight in the battlefield, and until they are through with judging said soldier, they will deem him or her good enough to fight with or even follow, or bad enough to avoid and maybe disobey. If your soldiers are everything the reports claim them to be, it is likely that the Kig-Yar will find you to be more than a good chance of survival and follow your Humans into battle."

Hood thought about how this would change everything in the battlefield. Not counting the San'Shyuum, he had on one hand there was a very skilled, honor-bound race above most others that was completely willing to cooperate with them, yet their brutish counterpart, also as powerful, could be described as a general loose cannon. Another was the insectoid race which promised the same as the Sangheili, which gave comfort to Hood, yet he feared that the species of clusters of worms would not be able to do their part and could risk operations. Then there was a race practically just emancipated that was learning how to behave like a soldier yet still distrustful of Humans, while the other avian race was far more calculative and logically more trustworthy. In the end, it came down to two fully cooperative races, two races that may or may not be reliable, and two races that, depending on the situation, could aid them or shoot them. Yet none of them were declared enemies against Humanity, so at least that went well enough.

Yet, despite all that, he also had the support of the highly cultured San'Shyuum, as rare as they were, and if the proof shown by Mendicant Bias was true, then the AI would hold its loyalty to Humans above all. So far he was considering just how well this had all gone, having expected to blow a hole in the alien fleet's defenses with the destruction of his and Keyes's ships. The Admiral then said, "Well, these are much better news than expected, so I don't feel like I can complain. Right now, we should be returning to our ships to report to our High Command and explain the situation to them. Right now we've discussed if the idea of an Alliance is even feasible, and it's probably relieving to us all that it is. We could make a second, more formal and less confrontational assembly, in which case we could bring more ambassadors as well as you could to discuss the further details on how this is going to work. That meeting will have to be _very_quick, though. The odds are going to be even between both sides with this makeshift coalition, but we can't lose time that our common enemy can use to pummel our strongholds. As soon as the assembly is over, we will need to ready for war and find the strength we will need to fight the Covenant."

"I agree", said Tartarus. "I know my uncle well enough that he can raise hell in almost _any_ territory, no matter the odds. Giving him more time is killing our own warriors."

"Then we shall make haste and be done with it. Gods know I want to endure and outlive this coming war." The Prophet of Malevolence continued.

"It is settled then. Send us a message as soon as you've come up with the date of this next session, we will have the courtesy to host it here again." The Spec-Ops Commander declared.

Hood nodded and saw Faith make a gesture to some of the Sangheili Guards around the room. They bowed their heads with their long spears still facing the ceiling, and soon all walked towards the group of visitors, with one of the ones in white armor saying, "Come, Humans. We shall escort you to your ships and make sure no other 'incidents' happen along the way."

"Very well." Replied the Admiral. Soon, they got on the atypical elevator and then walked back through the lengthy trek they had made to arrive to the meeting room. It was nearing the normal elevator that would take them to the docks the _Hannibal_ and the _Pillar of Autumn_ were in that they encountered an Unggoy, the same Unggoy that had nearly shot them before talking to their previous escort, Ultra Eora 'Saleen. Both were in somewhat relaxed stances, not looking as tense as the last time they had been seen together. The two looked at one another when they caught sight of the large group, with the Unggoy turning to the Sangheili as if looking for an answer. The Ultra nodded and the two began to walk towards the crowd of more than thirty. Soon, all came to a stop as the two stood before the ambassadors and their countless escorts. The Ultra bowed her head and said, "Sangheili Honor Guards, brothers and sisters in steel, I ask you for the favor of letting Unggoy Minor Tepet say a few words of apology he has been eager to say in his deep regret for causing the unnecessary confrontation from before."

The crimson armored Sangheili turned to their officers to wait for their word. The two looked at one another and gave a nod as they turned to the grunt, "You are allowed to repent for your actions done before, Unggoy Tepet. But be brief, we are not to waste time we could use for preparations for the war that is to come."

The Unggoy nodded nervously and walked up to the group, approaching more closely the Humans yet still keeping his distance. He looked to the ground and said in his high-pitched voice, "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused, ambassadors. I was nervous when I saw you aboard the ship and I wasn't sure about what to do, and I felt like-"

"You're from the species that rebelled recently, right?" asked the ODST Sergeant that was not Felicia. The Unggoy was completely thrown off by this question and barely stammered a 'yes'.

What happened next shocked everyone. The Sergeant walked forward up until he was in front of the Minor and, rather than point his shotgun at him, he held out his right hand to shake the soldier's. "Then you deserve twice the respect most give you. Frankly, you're not that tall or buff at least in comparison to the slick gators and the hairy gorillas that probably fought against you. Hell, to fight against _five_ well armed and well trained species for your rights takes major balls to do. That in my book deserves at the very least a shake of the hands."

Everyone was shocked at what the trooper had just said, the most probably being Tepet himself. Nervously, he gave his large, furry hand to the Human who took it in a firm grasp and shook it. He nodded his head at the grunt and said, "Name's Sergeant Avery Jr. Johnson. Hope I see you in the battlefield one of these days to see just how good you are with that green pistol of yours. We could raise hell as a team. What do you say?"

"I, uh, think it would be… good?" The grunt stuttered nervously.

"Great! See you groundside, soldier! Remember to show the enemy the balls you proved you had today!" The man shouted as he let go of the hand. He turned his back on the grunt and returned to his place in the group, everyone looking at him. "What? You know it's true."

"Well, as interesting as that was, Sergeant, we need to get going and report to HIGHCOM, no point in staying here any longer." Keyes remarked. The group nodded at that and then carried on, some saying goodbyes to the Ultra and the Minor. It did not take long to find the energy bridges again and for the Sangheili Guards, Commander Keyes, Admiral Hood and their respective ODST squads to part ways.

Everyone in the bridge was relieved to see the Admiral return to perfectly unharmed to his position in command, and even more so to learn that they would be returning to the base for another meeting to confirm the alliance. Soon, they plotted a course to Sydney, Australia, where the Security Committee's bunker was located at. Hood already had good news and several plans for what was going to come ahead of them, and he felt that the previously unknown enemy that was superior in every way to them was no longer a threat to Humanity's survival, yet an enemy that could be undertaken through the united force of the Alliance that could be formed. Today rose a new dawn, one filled with hope and light to shine a path that would lead them all to safety.

**10:41 – September 19th, 2525 – Undisclosed Location**

Admiral Margaret Orlenda Parangosky sat in her office, looking at the screen as she thought of the alien fleet that had closed in over couldn't feel anything but distrust of the species that had ravaged several UNSC colonies over the past couple of months, and could only think of the severe consequences that would bring allying themselves with aliens that already knew far too much about Humanity for her own comfort. Of course, it was always Admiral Hood that managed to convince Fleet Admiral Ward to think the way he did.

She sighed, thinking of the numerous ways this would backfire on them all and probably end Humanity for good. She remembered for a while when she thought the Insurrectionists were a real threat. The Admiral could only chuckle at the thought of comparing a group of pissed off extremist humans to a large, savage, extremist alien coalition. She looked at the screen and read the reports sent to her by one of her most talented agents.

_Admiral, missions have been successful. With the UNSC caught up with the war, they have not been able to notice the disappearance of several hundreds of thousands of colonists from our part. A couple of hundred thousand have had their memories tempered with and they will not remember the UNSC and will think the planet they will be sent to is their home planet. They already have the name of their government, troops, and disbanded labeled._

_A calculated 3 million have been mutated heavily to barely resemble Humans anymore and make it their one goal to exterminate any and all Humans they can find. They are now genetically modified to share a hive-mind mindset that would allow coordination of some level, yet still very basic. Reproduction with the females, all of which are extraordinarily strong and dangerous, save the Queen, would multiply their numbers thanks to their now high birth rate. Creatures classes designated Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda and Mu have been finished and will be deployed to the planet. The heavily mutated humans, being as strong as they are, will manage to tame them._

_Planet designated Sigma-Epsilon-Rho-Alpha has been prepared. Establishments and locations for the two groups have been made adequately and with technology dating a couple of centuries back have been placed correctly. Its location remains in the borders of the Orion Arm, far away from both UNSC and Covenant ships. 'The Project' is now ready to begin._

She knew that if word ever got out that she was the creator of this project, there was no denying she would be sentenced to death. _Hell_, she might even be tortured for making a program which could make Dr. Halsey's own look angelic. But in all truth, she didn't give a shit of what she was thought of. She didn't even care that she had to sacrifice her own humanity and be labeled as a monster if it meant the survival of her own species. She didn't expect this to create some sort of massive super weapon that would hold the answer to all her problems, but studying the development of a case similar to hers and Humanity's could lead to the answer on how to win a war where all odds were against them. She got up to grab a bottle of vodka from the counter in her office and pour herself a glass. She sat down again to look at the screen as she drank a bit from her drink. The alcohol smoothened her nerves a bit and with a couple of deep breaths, she wrote back to her ONI agent: _Acknowledged. Begin Project Sera._

**Author's Notes: Well, now you understand about every race's stance on Humanity, so now that that's gotten out of the way, I can finish this Prologue and go to the Great War next. Now you know about how the Gears came to be (or are going to be). In other words, Parangosky just killed a million Humans by turning them into the Locust husks, and hundreds of thousands through a war SHE created. And she really doesn't give a shit. I'll leave you guys to ponder just how cruel that bitch really is.**

**Apart from that, I won't be updating for a while because for the next week and a half I'm going to be filled to the brim with evaluations of all kinds, including more than 5 tests, a couple of projects and other unearthly shit. In other words, for the next week and a half I'm going to have a second asshole drilled above the original so I can get fucked both ways. Yes, it's that bad. It's bad enough that I won't be able to write throughout that whole time so I'm giving you the fair warning. Thankfully, though, after that comes easy time and vacations, so I'll have a lot of time to write. Well, if I'm not dead within two weeks, I'll have survived more than Bear-Fucking-Grylls.**

**Update 11/01/15: So for the mention of the Gears of War part, I'm leaving the copyrights how I left them, but this and one more mention will be as far as it gets. I'm not even going to wait for you to read it, Sera gets blown up in chapter 15 of this story (though an extremely minor event due to a very dark event completely overshadowing it, you have been warned). That was the only mention I have made of another third party story, and I have officially killed it, though I suppose it can now be considered a cameo. Cameos I probably will have, but only as names go (for instance, I would name a massive weapons-producing company Hyperion in honor of Borderlands, but that's all you'll see). I'm not telling you anything I haven't already said as to why I'm cancelling the idea on chapter 3, so I'm going to say why I DID want to do it in the first place:**

**Alliance races: Humans, Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, Unggoy, Lekgolo, Yanme'e, San'Shyuum, Alliance-made AI (+ 4 more races that pertain to these two universes (let's say Huragok don't count or can be classified as Forerunner AI)); total races: 13**

**Citadel races: Asari, Turian, Salarian, Elcor, Volus, Hanar, Drell (+2 more ME races (Keepers don't count)) (+1 semi-original/not-so-original race (crafted from the ME-verse)); total races: 10**

**See the difference? I didn't want to make the Citadel races complete pansies when facing the Alliance (which, let's face it, are already facing a massive technological disadvantage). I didn't want to add having even fewer species to the least as to why they face terrible odds if ever they do think of attacking said Alliance, so I wanted to add third-story species to their ranks (for instance, Star Wars). Since that really won't work, I took it down and I will leave the species as they are (13:10) and the Citadel will have their own way of compensating. If I really _do_ want to add one more to the Citadel, I _may_ just take one or two fans' OC race suggestions (you'll see more about this in the chapters to come (NO HUMANOIDS ALLOWED)), or I'll make my own. There's a chance I'll do neither and stick with what I have, and I figured you all should know the origin of the mass crossover idea I had.**

**Copyrights: 343 Industries owns Halo, Bioware owns Mass Effect, Epic Games owns Gears of War**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I'm alive and still writing (don't worry, I'm not planning on abandoning you guys), and I'd like to say I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. Normally, I wouldn't apologize for taking this long to post a chapter because I believe in taking my time and putting real quality into the chapter, but like all shitty politians, I gave you a false promise. I can honestly say that this vacation has been A LOT busier than my school life even was, so believe me, it was pretty unexpected for me too.**

**Now, unto some questions about the mass-crossover, I realized I wasn't really specific about the details of it, and I'd like to put here some of the parameters I've created: **

**N#1- I've changed my mind, Twi'leks will be the ONLY and LAST humalien race that there will be (I'm keeping humalien races just to Asari and Twi'lek); **

**N**#2- There will be NO separate Human governments or separate H********uman groups that don't come from the UNSC (like Coalition of Ordered Governments was created by Parangosky, and will probably be the only other Human government) because it's too complicated and would have WAY too many holes in the plotline. However, certain elements from some other games MAY be added if they're good enough and don't overpower Humanity too much (because they will be powerful enough as they are). ****

****N**#3- I'd like for AS MANY races (not humalien) to be added to this fanfic. I need the numbers, and I will be making the Milky Way in this story probably around twice to thrice as large as it really is to house them all. So please send me summaries of several different species, a sort of bio of them, their culture and technology. Once again, this all has its reason of being, and I may change the origins of some species (and I will narrate my version) to avoid plot holes.******

******Now that that's out there, I'm going to say that most, if not all, chapters will be like this. Each chapter will have a timeskip, because I will only write about important battles and events (which will still be many). This Part will be MUCH longer than the Prologue, I will try to make many twists and turns, and the war will continue up until the ending of Halo 4. However, you should all know I won't be following the original Halo plotline because it would be WAY too complicated and the circumstances are WAY too different. Now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, here is the first chapter of the second Part of the many that there will be in this story.******

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Rough Starts**

**September 19****th****, 2525:** The Covenant Separatists held the second meeting that would dictate the future of the 'Alliance' that would be formed. Among the ambassadors sent were Admiral Hood and Commander Keyes once again due to knowing the station better than the others and having more experience with the leaders of the Separatists. The meeting was a success, ending with several Separatist ships, all of which hold several intelligent San'Shyuum, going into slip-space to go to Earth to help with research projects requested by the ambassadors, including shielding units among soldiers and ships, and the improvement of UNSC slip-space drives with the construction of new, adaptable plasma reactors.

**September 20****th****, 2525:** The formation of the 'Alliance' was broadcasted on every channel and radio throughout UNSC territory, stating that the Separatists wanted to aid them and would mark their armors to separate themselves from the Covenant. Humans everywhere took this with varying reception, some welcoming the aid while others wanted them killed. Though the civilian audience held mixed feelings, soldiers were ordered to fight alongside the Separatists, no matter the views. It has also been settled that although the Separatists hold many important locations and strategic stations and planets, the Covenant hold all homeworlds.

**September 23****rd****, 2525:** OPERATION: TAKE BACK HARVEST began with the 'Alliance' sending a fleet to the Epsilon Indi System. Through several losses, the new Alliance armada was able to defeat the Covenant's glassing fleet, though at a costly price. The fleet of 170 ships of all sizes was downed to 103, while the enemy fleet of 120 was destroyed. Incursions planned by the surviving commanders began, locating all points where there were still high concentrations of Covenant forces and sending troops to said locations.

**September 29****th****, 2525:** Through an entire week of fighting, OPERATION: TAKE BACK HARVEST was a major success. According to Separatist leaders, they saved Harvest just barely from being glassed, stating that the glassing fleet had arrived too recently to do anything before it was attacked. The operation was broadcasted to all frequencies for all members of the species pertaining to the Alliance to hear. Almost immediately this was received with great reception from Humanity when the people heard of the news.

**October 14****th****, 2525:** In the midst of several operations similar to TAKE BACK HARVEST, many Separatist colonies were assaulted, some having been able to fend off the Covenant while others were glassed. Purely human colony operations were postponed as the Separatists sent some of the ships placed to be on the offensive to the planets attacked, stalling any near future missions planned to take back Human colonies. The UNSC offered several ships as a gesture of gratitude for the urgent help given by the Separatists, all of which were accepted.

**October 18****th****, 2525:** Tensions raise as a platoon of Jiralhanae Separatists kill a Human-Sangheili squad for insubordination when the plan of attack on Covenant Sangheili colony 'Sheraan' involved the murder of civilians through the burning of several villages. The crude tactic to draw out the hidden Covenant soldiers proved effective, but when the squad consisting of both Humans and Sangheili strongly opposed this method, they were executed for insubordination. The platoon is now to be sent to a Court Martial to be judged for their actions aboard the colony Sheraan. It has become an uncomforting fact that while this case is so far the only truly aggressive report within the 'Alliance', there have been multiple in which Unggoy, Kig-Yar, Jiralhanae and Mgalekgolo are responsible for insubordination and treason. This is without counting the frequent attempts by several UNSC troopers to shoot Separatist soldiers in the back despite the 'Alliance'.

**October 21****st****, 2525:** It is now public that the 'Alliance' will now be officially going by the temporary name 'the Separatist Alliance' to avoid further confusion on the matter. SA leaders have been sentencing troopers throughout the Alliance to varying punishments, some for insubordination and lack of ability to fight in the battle field. These cases more commonly shared by the Kig-Yar, Mgalekgolo and Unggoy have been given the sentence of small time in prison to give as a consequence for the named situations. On some cases, however, the soldiers are sent to infirmaries for whenever they are suffering from mental conditions due to the recent events and are later sent to the battle field as soon as they're ready to fight again.

Though they are the rarest cases so far, treason is sentenced with death. Though rare, they are distributed relatively even within all species. Sangheili have had several less than peaceful confrontations with Jiralhanae; Mgalekgolo have been reported to go berserk in denial of the truth while in deep trances and are often stopped by the Yanme'e, though the latter go as far as killing any other Mgalekgolo in the area; the Kig-Yar and the Unggoy have been noted that they already shared grudges since before the Great Schism; and there have been records where Humans are attacked by a group of aliens or vice-versa.

**October 28****th****, 2525: **SA Leaders are now announcing the death penalty for treason, insubordination or other types of felonies that endanger the new Alliance or the chances of winning the war. The new, strict policy enforced upon all soldiers has had an immediate drop in reports less than wanted by the high authorities. Some groups will work begrudgingly together, yet the Leaders' strong hand has stopped any more mayhem from happening in between the troops. Separatists now wear the 'Mark of Shame' with the color of steel on all their armors with the new meaning of Honor to prevent further confusion in battle for Humans. This is also a way for the Separatists to reject the teachings of the Covenant and to no longer hold faith in the old coalition.

**November 12****th****, 2525:** The 33 SPARTANs in optimal conditions are sent aboard the UNSC _Commonwealth_ to head to Chi Ceti IV to receive their new MJOLNIR Mark IV Power Armor. The Commonwealth will be accompanied by Separatist ship, the DDS-Class Carrier _Transcendent Essence_. Though not as large as other Covenant ships, having 1.45 kilometers in length, the _Transcendent Essence_ is still a heavy warship equipped with a slip-space drive, more than enough to fulfill its duty as an escort. The other 42 unsuccessful SPARTANs are sent to ONI facilities to perform advanced treatments on them to see if they can be brought on the field like the 33 successful ones with the new medical data provided by the Separatists. Doctor Halsey has been appointed to be at the head of this.

**06:33 – November 27****th****, 2525 – UNSC Commonwealth**

He looked through his visor at his opponent. He silently breathed from exhaustion at the spar against his bigger rival. Both in defensive battle stances circled around each other in the ring designated just for them to train. In a second, both charged, sending well placed punches and kicks to whatever hole in the other's defense could be found. A strong punch from both opponents and they were back in their previous position. Ever more tired, John found it in himself to charge one more time at Samuel. The larger SPARTAN threw the strongest jab he could throw, which John proceeded to dodge. John quickly grabbed the fist as soon as it finished its trajectory, ran behind Samuel, bringing his arm with him, and in a better position to strike, finished the near 8 foot tall Super Soldier with a roundhouse kick to the back of his head. Samuel succumbed to the unconsciousness overwhelming him and fell to the floor with an echoing thud. John, still tired from the hour-long fighting session with his closest friend, used his remaining energy to walk over to the awakening SPARTAN and offer his hand, which was gratefully accepted.

"Damn, it. You always get me near the end." The large Spartan mustered as he got up. Now both on their feet, they moved out of the ring to head where the other Spartans were training as well, specifically where Kelly was. On the way, John chuckled, "Your jabs get too slow when you're under enough strain."

"Ok, _now_ you're sounding like Kelly." Both laughed a bit, nearing the ring their friend was on fighting Linda. Like John predicted, she was giving lightning-quick jabs to the sniper, who managed to block them all with the occasional counter. It was the marksman's fighting style to be on the defensive at most times until her opponent would leave a hole in his or her defense and then use it to her advantage. Linda was among those that could end a fight with just one move if given the chance. Although all Spartans were capable of finishing their rivals with a single blow, Linda was an expert in the art. John deduced that where she mainly avoided close quarter combat weapons to instead use her sniper rifle, she compensated with her skills in powerful death blows.

Coming closer to the spar ring, John could see that although Kelly would not let up, she was very much exhausted. Linda looked like she had taken quite a beating yet was still faring better than the rapid Super Soldier. Of course, to the eyes of anyone else, it would have looked more like a never ending battle between two gargantuan robots. Only Spartans could see through the MJOLNIR Armor and into the soldier. Now just outside of the ring, the two brother-like comrades watched the fight continue on, as the hare kept throwing punches faster than a machine gun could fire.

Linda finally grabbed Kelly's right leg in the middle of a kick and used her strength to hit Kelly's Mark IV Helmet with her right fist. Kelly was sent to the ground on all fours, doing everything in her power not to let the rest of her body touch the floor. She looked up to see her two closest friends watching her, no doubt waiting for her to finish so that they could talk. She knew Linda aimed a kick at the back of her head to end the everlasting match and figured she would play her luck to give it one last try. Kelly rolled and dodged Linda's closing foot and jumped to deliver an uppercut using the energy she had left with the risk of being completely vulnerable to any other attacks from the redhead. Her fortune had smiled on her, because her punch hit Linda directly in the jaw and left her sprawling on the floor.

It didn't take longer than a few seconds for Linda to get up again and stretch her hand to the victor. Kelly promptly took it, laughing when she heard, "You were lucky this time, Kelly. Next time it won't turn out so well without John here to fuel it for you."

"Like I needed it, Linda. I had you from the beginning." John and Sam knew that, although they could not see it, both of their friends were smirking under their visors. This was, after all, one of the few times they could see Kelly cracking jokes without being in a near suicidal mission. In the end, no SPARTAN felt discomfort when around only other Spartans.

"I'll have an easier time believing that Doctor Halsey has an IQ below average than _that_." Linda replied. The two women looked to see the other two Super Soldiers approaching them. With that, the redhead looked at her rival and said, "Well, I'll leave you three to it. 'Till next time, Kelly."

"See you around, Linda." The hare replied. With that, Linda left the ring to head over where Frederic and Kurt were fighting at the moment. Kelly turned to the other two and gave them the 'SPARTAN smile', a gesture that her friends returned. With subtle agreement, the three walked over to the other part of the SPARTAN training quarters, the target practice area.

The three found Serin-019 in her MJOLNIR practicing with the BR85HB SR 'Battle Rifle'. They could tell something had her nerves strained as she shot at whatever target she could find as many times as possible. For a soldier as pragmatic as her, that was something far beyond usual. As they approached her, it was Sam who asked, "Something on your mind, Serin?"

"John, Kelly, Sam." She greeted as she turned around. Though she was very reserved, even by SPARTAN standards, she was nonetheless one of their own and she cared deeply for them. She then asked, "Is it that obvious?"

"Not really, but it's enough to notice." John replied. Serin looked back to find the target practice boards, all of different Covenant species, with several coal-black bullet marks in several vital positions in each. She looked back at them and sighed, "I don't trust them."

The three knew exactly who she was talking about. Though they weren't as extremist as the marines that had committed treason, the Spartans were distrustful of their new allies, even with the current events taking place recently. John said, "I don't either, Serin, at least not completely yet. They have, though, helped us take back Harvest amongst other lost colonies."

"Maybe, but is it enough to trust them with the _others_? I mean, how do we know that they aren't trying to poison them?" She retorted with a slight amount of edge in her voice. The three knew where this was coming from because it was a concern that all the 33 Super Soldiers aboard the _Commonwealth_ shared. It was then that someone else with a deep, Hungarian accent intervened in the conversation, "We don't, but it's reassuring to know that Doctor Halsey herself is studying the procedures in depth to make sure nothing happens to the other Spartans, don't you think?"

The four looked at Jorge walking up to them in his green MJOLNIR armor, carrying his helmet under his left arm while in his right hand he held his trademark M247H 'Heavy Machine Gun'. Kelly then looked at her comrade and said reassuringly, "Jorge is right. I doubt she would allow so much as one syringe to touch them if she didn't know exactly what it was and what effects it may have."

Serin looked at them and nodded a bit. The four could tell, even past her helmet, that she wasn't fully convinced yet was not as paranoid either. Sam looked at the other gargantuan soldier and inquired, "What are your thoughts about this, Jorge?"

"Well, Sam, I can't say for sure. We could definitely use the extra muscle they're bringing to the battlefield, and shielding units could make fights a hell of a lot easier. I'd like to give this Alliance some time to develop so that I can fully judge it once I know just how well it could work." The titan of a man replied. Before any more could be said, the alarms blared. All the Spartans looked at the ceiling to find the red emergency lights flaring. They were being attacked.

In a moment's notice, all Spartans dropped what they were doing and rushed to the bridge, where the Captain would be waiting to give them orders. Within a few minutes, all Spartans arrived at the bridge of the ship and saluted Captain Arnold Wallace. He raised his hand at the sight before him, his only hand, as a sign that they could stop.

"As you may have already guessed, Spartans, we are being assaulted right now by the Covenant. How they found us, I don't know, but what I do know is that we have been attacked by three Covie Frigates. Thankfully, the _Transcendent Essence_ already took care of one of them, but its having a hard time with the second. The third is raining hell on us. I've already read several reports on hull breaches, and our engineers calculate that twenty to thirty minutes more of this engagement and the _Commonwealth_ will be destroyed along with all of its crew. Already most of our ship's weapons have been rendered inoperable, so the only solution left is a boarding the ship and destroying their fusion generator with ANVIL-II 'Air-to-Surface' Missiles. I doubt that any other soldier in this ship could get the job in time, which is why you all will be splitting into several teams to board the ship. Only one is necessary, so when the first team reaches the ship, they must send a signal to the others to fall back. Understood?" The Captain explained.

"Yes, sir!" All the soldiers replied. Fred then asked, "Sir, how will we board the ship?"

"Before our MAC gun was crippled, we managed to puncture a hole in the Frigate. That will be your pilots' target. Now go, Spartans, and show those bastards what Humanity is capable of!" The Captain shouted.

Before they could reply, one of the communications personnel shouted, "Sir, we've got a message coming from the _Transcendent Essence_!"

"Patch them through," The Captain replied. A holographic screen appeared with a pink-violet armored Sangheili sitting on an Anti-Gravity Throne, presumably the Commander of the ship. "Captain Wallace, pardon my intrusion, but I could not help but overhear your plan of attack upon the Frigate you are currently engaging. I was about to contact you, but I thought it best to allow you to finish reciting your strategy. I offer my personal assistance to your Spartans, for I know Covenant Ships very well and could lead your squad through the quickest routes."

"While I appreciate the offer, Field Marshal 'Lortell, why you? Why not order any other of your crew with the same knowledge?" The Captain inquired.

"Captain, all Sangheili are soldiers, and we all know our roles in battle and our purpose in the fields. What separates myself with my warriors is my experience, which is vaster than theirs by far. In these types of operations, it is best to keep the squad with few extraordinarily skilled soldiers, for having too many would lose the elements of stealth and surprise at hand. Anyone other than myself that I could assign for this task would undoubtedly slow down your soldiers and could possibly even die. I can guarantee that I will be no burden to your Spartans." The seasoned Shipmaster replied.

Looking at his options, Captain Wallace knew this to be the best course of actions and replied quickly, "Very well then, Commander. If you've heard our plan all the way through, then I can safely assume you know of the hole on the Frigate, right?"

"That is correct, Captain. My warriors are already preparing a Banshee equipped with active camouflage for me so that I may arrive with little to no inconveniences." The Sangheili replied.

"Perfect, we'll engage effective immediately." The Captain said. He turned to his own batch of soldiers and ordered, "Get it done, soldiers! This is a mission you cannot afford to lose."

"Sir!" They all saluted before heading to the lift. As the elevator went down, the group of Super Soldiers separated into eleven teams of three, one of which consisted of John, Kelly and Sam.

The doors opened to the hangar where several Pelicans were already warming up for flight. The trios went to their separate ways and boarded the agile spacecrafts. The large bay decompressed as all oxygen left that part of the ship with the doors opening to the blackness of space. All Pelicans flew towards the hole in the Frigate attacking the _Commonwealth_.

It wasn't long before they engaged several Seraphs and Banshees protecting the gap in the ship's defense. Most of the enemy crafts were destroyed, but one Banshee managed to land a hit on one of the Pelicans, the one holding Arthur, Solomon and Cassandra. Everyone's blood chilled as the fuel rod hit its mark perfectly in the middle of the Pelican. Through the windows, the SPARTANs saw the Banshee charging again to aim for the kill. But just as it was about to fire, it was destroyed ironically by another fuel rod. Another Banshee appeared as it deactivated its invisibility unit, it standing out for its large, steel-colored Mark of Honor. Immediately identified as a friendly, the Pelican shot was ordered to return to the _Commonwealth_ for having sustained too much damage.

The rest did not have too many hassles the rest of the way thanks to the firepower of the remaining ten Pelicans plus the stealthy Banshee's diligence. They were approaching the hole when the Pelican containing Jon, Kelly and Sam gave the signal for the others to fall back. All but their own Pelican set a course to return to their ship with only the Separatist Banshee remaining to aid them on their objective.

The two crafts closed in on the weak spot, the Field Marshall's Banshee reactivating its active camo. The Pelican went through the plasma-shielded hole on the ship's side and shot at every enemy target in sight. Within only a few seconds of the bombardment, the platform was clear of Covenant soldiers. From ground troops to Ghosts to Turrets, all perished at the unexpected entrance of the Human intruders. Now rid of serious threats, the Pelican landed on the bottom floor of the two level platform they were in. The back of the vehicle opened and out stepped the trio of Spartans, with John holding the Assault Rifle, Kelly her twin SMGs, and Sam with his shotgun.

All three grabbed and holstered their share of the missiles and grabbed their weapons along with as much ammo as they could carry. The three looked above to find the Separatist Banshee uncloaking once again and watched it land next to the Pelican rather quickly. It opened in half vertically and the Sangheili hopped out to meet the squad. The Field Marshal looked at them and said, "We must go, Spartans. I shall take the lead, for I know these hallways as well as my own name."

"Understood," replied John in his usual baritone voice. Through the comms the Super Soldiers shared, the man said, "Keep your guard up and your profile low. This ship probably has several SpecOps Operatives on the hunt for intruders. If the Field Marshall gives an order, we follow it."

"Got it." His two friends replied. The experienced Elite took a good look around him, walking in the direction of a closed gate speaking, "We are not far. Expect heavy resistance on the other side, for we are going through the armory to get to the reactor."

The three didn't even nod and simply followed suit, eventually reaching the gate and taking the right side of the locked, metallic door. The Field Marshall looked at where a small stand was at the left of the entrance with a holographic sphere at the top, waiting to be touched. The three looked in confusion as the Sangheili stood in front of the purple cylinder and chuckled, prompting Sam to ask, "What is it?"

"The thought is amusing that so many ships, stations and bases are equipped with this lock. Said fact is not as humorous as the thought that with the help of the Oracle, we can get past any of their scanners and other similar defenses while they wouldn't even go through a door without having their hands burnt. To think that everything we rely on can be turned against us within a few hours, no, minutes… excuse my uncalled for stupor, Spartans. With age comes weariness." 'Lortell replied somewhat sourly.

"No need, sir. Let's just get the job done so we can get back to this war." John replied bluntly. The Sangheili nodded and placed his hand over the sphere, allowing the door before them to open. The tall alien murmured, "We have the element of surprise with us. We should make the best use of it until it no longer has effect."

"Agreed. The four of us should head in different directions and hit them from the highest place we can. That should leave them with little to no place to hide and they can be killed quickly." John spoke in his usual emotionless tone.

"Excellent strategy, Spartan. We shall put it to use and _rid this galaxy of their mongrel hides_." The Separatist whispered with fury. There was a small hallway on the other side of the door, one without any guards. The Field Marshall led the Spartans and signaled them to grab a Fuel Rod Gun at a nearby weapons pod to help dispatch all troops with ease. The Sangheili took right to a more narrow hall with a gravity lift at its end. 'Lortell stepped forward and let himself be taken by the vertical current the device created, prompting the Spartans to do the same.

Arriving within a matter of seconds, John looked around him to find himself and the others in the shadows, not visible to the few sentries with clearance for the platform. In total he counted three Jiralhanae Officers and one Sangheili Officer watching over the soldiers managing the equipment and vehicles. The Field Marshal gave a signal to John, one he proceeded to pass on to the other two Super Soldiers, and each took a position behind a sentry. With their blades ready for a swift strike, all of the guards succumbed to their approaching death without even knowing their assailants had taken their lives away. All four caught the bodies before they could fall into the large, rectangular pit of soldiers and vehicles and alert them of their presence before silently placing the corpses aside.

Now with the sentinels gone, the squad took aim with their Fuel Rod Guns, the first target being any and all energy batteries, and fired. John could only guess of the discord and confusion the Covenant soldiers were suffering from when they finally realized they were being shot from above with green, explosive projectiles that belonged to their own weapons. With each second that passed and each round that was used, dozens of the Covies fell to never get back up again. None were spared from the slaughter, the Unggoy being the quickest to fall while even Mgalekgolo dropped from the strength of the four explosive weapons used at the same time. Though the squad's ammo ended only shortly before their enemies did, it only took a few shots from their original weapons to finish off the last of the troops.

The four looked at one another and, upon finding no more enemies to kill, strategically jumped the long fall and landed rolling in such a way that their armors would receive minimal damage. Upon close inspection from the Spartans, they realized that though their bird's nest view was rectangular, the place as a whole was far more circular and even had two levels. The four looked to the end of the hallway to find the silver door's purple, glowing marks turn to a bright white before opening. It surprised the Spartans when they did not find anything on the other side, but the Separatist Field Marshall was quick to react and bellowed, "Special Operations warriors!"

John then realized what the aged warrior meant when he saw several Sangheili Covies in crimson armor deactivated their invisibility units and drew out their Energy Swords. John counted eight of them, each with a blade, and immediately shot the closest one to him, only to have the bullets deflected by the energy weapon. The same Sangheili along with a partner charged at the Spartan with their swords high, ready to kill the Super Soldier. With speed only a Spartan could have, John quickly dropped his Assault Rifle and took his combat knife from his sheath and took a defensive pose.

He was quick to dodge the first Sangheili's sword to the right while the second's he blocked with his knife. When the first made for a horizontal swipe, John jumped into a backflip, kicking the second's jaw in mid air, sending the Sangheili away from the two. Now with only one enemy, or at least temporarily, he punched the alien in the midsection and gave a roundhouse kick to the specops troop's right hand, the one he or she wielded the sword. John felt the satisfying crunch as his foot made contact with his assaulter's hand, indicating that he had broken the alien's hand. Though the Covie did not drop the weapon, it was noticeably more weakly held. John then ran with his knife to aim for the neck when the second Sangheili tackled him from the right.

On the floor, he looked a few meters to the left, where his knife slid on the metallic floor. He then quickly looked back to the second who had fallen on top of him, sword high, ready to end the Spartan's life. John, with all his strength, moved his torso to the side, toppling the alien over him, and gave a jab towards the alien's mandibles. That earned him a loud groan from the 8 foot tall alien, a sign that he had probably broken the alien's jaws in his first blow against the opponent. The first came into view, running at the Super Soldier still on the ground, now holding the sword in his or her left hand. John rolled to the left and grabbed his knife once again before standing back up once again and readying for his opponents.

The man noticed how both Sangheili looked slower than when they began their attack, likely because of the few yet powerful shots he took at them when he got the chance. The two charged and each made for a horizontal strike, one being higher than the other to avoid the same mistake as the previous time. John ducked and quickly inserted the knife into the first's knee, sending the Covie to a kneeling position. Before he could do anything more, he received a kick to his abdomen from the second's shin and was sent back. The strength of the kick had propelled him to hit back to back with someone else. In an instance, John jumped away and faced his third opponent to find Kelly facing him in a similar stance instead. Both quickly registered what happened and lunged at the other's attackers. Back to back, the two Spartans kept at the four Sangheili specops soldiers that would not cease their assault. John's first attacker, by far the slowest one of the four, made a slow lunge, one that cost the fighter's life. John had grabbed the Sangheili's left forearm with his left hand while his right arm he put behind the first Sangheili's left bicep. With his strength, John bent back and broke the alien's elbow, which the multi-mandibled gator responded with a bellow. John, still wielding the knife, brought it upon his enemy's neck, ending the Covie's life.

The others became enraged by their comrade's death and put more speed and strength to their strikes, leaving room for discord among themselves. John and Kelly blocked anything and everything that came their way, with Kelly eventually using her superb speed to bring the knife to the side of one of her attacker's heads. Now with two gone, the Spartans left their safeguard stances to go for the offensive, each taking on one Sangheili.

John delivered a quick jab to his assaulter's mandibles to stun the alien, but realized that this was Kelly's opponent since the punch had far less effect than expected. The Sangheili was quick to react and kicked the knife out of John's hand before making for a lunge with his sword. John had to roll quickly to avoid the sword and quickly grabbed the Sangheili's sword as soon as he was up again. While the Covie did not let up easily, the troop let go, letting the Spartan have his weapon and then kicked it out of the Super Soldier's hand like he or she did with the knife. John then knew this would be going to a close quarters combat session when he saw that neither held a weapon.

It came to a flurry of kicks and punches that both blocked, dodged or countered, neither gaining an advantage over the other. After John managed a successful right hook to the specops troop's jaw, the alien activated something in his or her right wrist and an Energy Dagger formed where there was once nothing on the Sangheili's arm. John managed to dodge the swipes and stabs coming from his attacker, yet he did not block another kick that hit his abdominal area once again. The Spartan mentally berated himself for allowing the same mistake to happen when he fell to the ground, and then looked to his right to find the Energy Sword his enemy had dropped within reach, stretching his arm to grab it. Just as it was in his fingertips, his hand was stepped on by the large, two-toed hoof that belonged to the Covie.

John looked up to find the Sangheili with his dagger back, ready to aim for the kill. He used the strength in his left hand to punch the alien in the right ankle. The Sangheili let out a grunt of pain and raised his left leg to stomp on the Spartan's head. The Super Soldier was stunned from the hit, which to his surprised had neither killed him nor destroyed his visor. How none of those scenarios had happened, he couldn't say, but part of him bet on his large amount of luck. In his daze, he looked up to find the Sangheili once again in the same pose, with the difference being that the large foot was on John's chest, trapping his left arm between the two metallic masses. The Covie raised his or her arm to the highest point, only to have it severed from the rest of his body in a second.

'Lortell swung once again and beheaded the Special Operations soldier on top of John, leaving the body limp and ready to fall. It took less than a second for gravity to take its toll on the fresh corpse, and John used his remaining strength to push the severed body off of him. He looked up to find the Field Marshal with his hand extended and took the hand with much unvoiced gratitude. He then turned to see Sam and Kelly exhausted as well, with bodies near them in similar conditions to the one that nearly killed him. All Spec Ops troops were accounted for, five having been killed by 'Lortell while the Spartans took one kill each.

John, finally regaining his senses, saw the Field Marshall wiping off some blood on him after he deactivated and holstered his Energy Sword. The Spartan then walked to where his two friends were to check up on them. It was a relief to him to find them both, or at least their armors, in good conditions. They probably had been through as much as him, but they looked to be faring well. From behind him he heard thundering footsteps, probably from 'Lortell, and he could tell he was coming at him. He wasn't sure whether the Separatist had gone rogue or whether this was all a very elaborate scheme to have him and the others killed, but he couldn't think straight because it all happened within a few seconds.

He heard the shot of a rifle, a Beam Rifle, and a low grunt from the Sangheili on top of him. 'Lortell got up and grabbed his Plasma Rifle with his left arm to shoot at a jackal sniper that had somehow survived the green rain that the Fuel Rod Guns had provided. Quickly, the avian alien fell, now truly dead and with no way to rise from the sea of corpses again. The aged veteran placed again his weapon at his left leg, ready for combat whenever he needed it. John was quick to get up as well and seeing 'Lortell's condition cleared his mind of any doubts he had of the Separatist.

There was a burn mark on the Sangheili's armor, on his right shoulder, formed by the Beam Rifle's powerful shot. John then realized that the Kig-Yar had been aiming at him, and the experienced Field Master had saved him from having his armor punctured and heightening the risk of death. The Spartan then said, "Thank you, sir. I owe you."

"You owe me nothing, Spartan. You owe the SA its freedom from the cruel chains of the Covenant, and you have proven throughout this mission that you are willing and able to do more than that. What I have done was nothing short of duty," the Separatist replied. It had only been seconds before that Sam and Kelly had run up to the two to see what had happened, and upon hearing the veteran's words, felt a newfound respect and a small amount of admiration for the alien. 'Lortell looked around and said, "We are close to the engines. Let us not forget our objective and that time is short on our hands. Thankfully, I do believe that all obstacles have been cleared from the remaining path. We must make haste."

"Sir," the three replied. With that, the four went into a sprint with 'Lortell taking the lead. They ran room past room, all doors opening to them with a simple glow, until they entered a large room that had the size of a long hall. At the center was a lavender cylinder that spawned from the floor and ended at the ceiling. The center was the only place that there was none of the purple metalloid, but instead a bright, diamond shaped light that indicated that it was the ship's fusion reactor.

"This is our objective, Spartans, place your missiles around them with their counters. It is time we make our departure." 'Lortell said. Just as the Spartans were placing the missiles around the reactor, the ship shook violently enough to be comparable to a massive earthquake. The lights flickered on and off, and the reactor looked a bit more unstable, yet still in good conditions. At that moment, 'Lortell placed his hand near the side of his helmet and roared, "THIS IS FIELD MARSHALL MATEK 'LORTELL, CAPTAIN OF THE _TRANSCENDENT ESSENCE_, _HOLD YOUR FIRE_! THAT IS AN ORDER! I AM ABOARD THE ENEMY SHIP ALONG WITH THE HUMAN'S SPARTANS!"

"Field Marshall, we are truly sorry for the strike, but we had finished with the second Covenant ship and the third was striking upon the _Commonwealth_ with no stop, and we took it upon ourselves to leave the ship crippled!" The comms ensign replied. 'Lortell sighed because he knew his crew did the right thing upon saving the Human ship, and yet he knew there was a cost to this. More calmly, he asked, "What is the exact status of this enemy ship? It is crucial for us to know."

"We have attacked their weapons systems and their vehicle depot, near where the other hole punctured by the Human ship was."

"And were you aware that near that area was the Spartans' pilot, including her ship, as well as my own Banshee, our way off this ship?"

"Yes, Field Marshall, we only struck upon these bastards because we managed to hack the security logs on this ship as soon as we finished the second, and found your transports to have been destroyed by a rather large group of Mgalekgolo near the area."

"So the pilot was dead either ways?"

"Yes. I am sorry Field Marshall, it was the only way to ensure both the safety of the Human ship and your squads as well, for all the soldiers left were on their way to your position."

'Lortell sighed, "You did the right thing, warriors. Answer me one more question, however. What is the status of this ship's vehicle depot?"

"Other than the hole in the middle of it and the fact that it is decompressed, it is in fine conditions. If I am correct, there are still various Banshees that could serve as transport to you."

'Lortell looked up for a few seconds, knowing fully well the implications of what this meant. "I understand. We will carry on with our mission."

"Of course, Field Marshall, may the Gods watch over you."

'Lortell finally took his fingers off the right side of his helmet, and looked forward, not really at anything, in a state of slight melancholy. Kelly was quick to ask, "What's wrong, sir?"

'Lortell looked at them, seeing the missiles in place and then thought everything that was about to happen over. "It is time for you to leave, Spartans. I have no doubt you overheard my conversation and that you are aware of your transport's condition. The aircraft depot is awaiting you on the opposite entrance of where we originally landed, and there you shall find your carriers to safety."

"Yes, sir, and we can all get out of this in one piece, just arm the timers and come with us.." Sam replied.

"No, Spartan, _you _can still get out of this alive. My fate has already been sealed. The depot has been decompressed, and the puncture wound in my armor would kill me long before any Covenant soldier could." 'Lortell replied in acceptance.

John shifted in his position before saying, "Sir, we can clear the depot of any enemies left, and then pick you up in a Phantom without you-"

"_No_, Spartan, _you cannot_. I've already come to terms with my own death, and I know I've made no mistake in taking your place when the sniper took aim at you. You've proved to have the skills officers train for decades to wield, and I'm willing to bet you are very young if you've only had a few missions so far, all of which have been successful. Now go, for I shall guard the missiles until my last breath, and destroy the Covenant. It is my last order."

The three understood what this meant, and before going, John said to the alien, "It's been an honor."

"The honor has been mine, Spartans. Save the Separatist Alliance from the Covenant, and never underestimate your enemies. You are our beacon of hope in the dark times to come." 'Lortell murmured.

The three stood there for a moment before nodding at the Separatist and taking on a sprint once again, heading towards the place beyond where they were before.

**08:19 ****– November 27****th****, 2525 – UNSC Commonwealth**

Wallace sat in his chair, relieved after several close calls on many occasions. From the near death of one of the Spartan trios, to the continuous pummeling his ship received from the Covie ship, he was sure his hair had grayed severely from the tense experience. He had to give it to the _Transcendent Essence_, it put up a hell of a fight to destroy two ships and finish crippling the third. One of his comms ensigns called out three Banshees heading towards their position, yet were quickly identified as friendly despite the missing Mark of Honor. As soon as the three were identified as the Spartans, Wallace asked, "Where's the Field Marshall?"

"Sir, we're picking up a heat signature near the missiles!" The same Ensign from before shouted. The Captain inquired tensely, "Can you hack any cameras in the room?"

"Yes, sir!" The process was slow, slow enough to give time for the Banshees to land on the ship's hangar and for all the Spartans to report to the Captain. Wallace turned around to the three Spartans in front of the rest, the ones with the serial numbers 117, 087 and 034. "Well? Where's 'Lortell?"

John stepped forward to answer but was interrupted by the ensign who shouted, "Sir, we hacked it! We're patching it through!"

All stayed silent when they saw 'Lortell in a less than defensive stance looking on at the missiles' timers. He sighed, unholstering both his Plasma Rifle and his Energy Sword and letting the two weapons fall to the purple, metallic ground. The tall alien looked up one more time before grabbing onto the reactor in front of him, closing his eyes, and reciting, "Forgive me Gods, for I have sinned.

"I, as well as the Sangheili, have committed a terrible crime against an innocent race under the pretext that they were your only undoing and it was our duty to eliminate their existence. My apology is worth nothing and I am more than aware of that, for I have been among those who led one of the first glassings upon their less well armed colonies. I have fought for a wrong cause and I have fought without honor, something that without doubt has earned me my upcoming death. Though I repented as soon as I learned of the truth, once again a pray for forgiveness that might be earned through the salvation of the Spartan that I accompanied on this mission.

"It has become clear to me that these are going to be the warriors that will truly make a difference in this war. Only a few records are available of their known missions, not because of the secrecy, but because of their youth. Already I have seen with my own eyes the display of skill that only very experienced Officers and Special Operations Troopers share, ones that already have had decades worth of experience. My decision to take one's place when confronted with the arms of death itself may be the indirect salvation of millions of lives on my part. For this, I once again repent for the sins I have perpetrated, for I believe this to be my true act of redemption."

Through the video, the crew watched as 'Lortell looked back at the missile's counters, only at seven seconds until their detonation, and he muttered, "Gods grant me peace."

And with that, the camera log was replaced by a nothingness, meaning its destruction, and all those aboard the _Commonwealth_ watched as the Covenant ship's center emitted an eye-piercing light which soon consumed the rest of the ship. No one spoke, as they remained silent in respect for the fallen Shipmaster.

**Author's Notes: Well, now you know what I meant when I said that I will be saving a lot more people than it should be acceptable, and once again I remind you that this is all with good reason. I'd like to apologize for the part where the Spartans and 'Lortell head for the Covie ship for rushing it, but belive me that I wouldn't have gotten past that part if I didn't. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter (especially the hand to hand combat fights, I put a hell of an effort in that), and all constructive reviews and criticisms are welcome.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I'm back, and I know it's been a while. Being the final trimester of my school's years have given me a shit-ton of things that I've needed to work on or study for. Nevertheless, I am alive and I bring you a new chapter!**

**This Author's Notes is going to be quick probably just to tell you guys that I've been contemplating on whether I should include Shepard in my story (specifically MY story, cause I'm not going to be following the ME storyline). Other than that, I may be planning to include OC races into my story (and I won't be expanding the universe, don't worry). This is my longest chapter so far, and I've put a lot of effort into it, so I hope you guys enjoy!**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Incursions and VIPs**

**November 27****th****, 2525: **The SA _Commonwealth_ and _Transcendent Essence_ were attacked by a strike group consisting of three Covenant Frigates. The _Transcendent Essence_ destroyed two of the three frigates while the _Commonwealth_ sent a squad of SPARTANs to destroy the third from the inside. The _Transcendent Essence_'s Captain, Field Marshall Matek 'Lortell, accompanied the trio of SPARTANs to assist them in their task. The end result was the defeat of the Covie strike group while the SA ships survived, but at the cost of Field Marshall 'Lortell's life.

**December 1****st****, 2525:** The SA ships arrived at Rokan, a Jiralhanae colony near the center of the main part of SA territory, to inform higher-ups of the events that occurred a few days previous. It was established shortly after the news that a memorial would be established on Sanghelios, 'Lortell's birthplace, after the world is retaken and the war is over. It is noted throughout several colonies that the tensions between Humans and SA aliens are diminishing more from the Human's part specifically towards the Sangheili for the sacrifice 'Lortell made to save the SPARTANs.

**March 16****th****, 2527:** The war continues, now having reached a span of two and a half years. The Covenant has been doing significantly better with a higher amount of soldiers than expected, with SA leaders coming to the conclusion that they were training any abled Covie for war. Through several attacks on minor Covenant colonies, it's been observed how all labor and agricultural work is now being done by Unggoy, once again being repressed by the powerful hegemony into slave-like work. This has given more room for the other species of the Covenant to leave their posts to fight in the war.

**June 30****th****, 2529:** Almost at five years, planets and stations from both factions have fallen from the wrath of the other. Though so far neither side has made a move against a location of interest or a military higher-up, the battles prove to be more gory for each confrontation that occurs. Death count from the Separatist Alliance with civilians included has now reached over 9 billion, and it is estimated that by the end of the war it will be over 10 times the amount. So far, the only change to compensate for the losses is the fact that treason and lack of cooperation are subjects now more forgotten.

**October 19****th****, 2529:** After years of research, shielding units are being spread among Human marines and spaceships. Marines received light shields, being the most numerous among the fields, ODSTs received stronger shields, dropping behind enemy lines and being in the thicker part of numerous battles, and SPARTANs received the shields only Sangheili Field Marshalls and Jiralhanae Chieftain Captains have because of their status as invictus and successful in all of their operations and their high importance in the war. The spaceships now have fusion reactor hybrids, being composed of the original plus a complementary plasma reactor to help power shields for the ship to use.

**July 23****rd****, 2530:** The capture of SA Chieftain Captain Lydus was unsuccessful thanks to the helping hand of the SPARTANs. Contrary to initial suspicions, the Covenant was not responsible for this act, but instead served as a mark to the resurfacing of the Insurrection. This frustrated all of the SA leaders, prompting them to be on the defensive and maintain a certain level of paranoia to those around them. Unlike the Insurrection before the Great War, this one is far more clandestine and has proved to be more than effective at hiding, be it within UNSC lines as impostors and moles or in bases with advanced stealth technology. No fully frontal attacks can be made by the SA with their hands tied because of the war, so they prompt troops all around to be completely aware of who they are fighting with.

**January 3****rd****, 2531:** SA leaders have begun to plan the operations to take back all of their lost homeworlds. Though the process is going to be long and the time used will prove to be bloody in the war, said plans are becoming more and more thorough by the hour to ensure victory on the homeworlds. Although it is complex, all of the brightest strategists are now on the case. The details are all kept hidden and only discussed to the highest ranking members of the SA to avoid any intel getting to either the Covenant or the Insurrectionists.

**March 7****th****, 2531:** A valuable ex-ONI operative that was captured a week ago was located on the Covenant Jiralhanae colony Molae Sarus, to be transferred to High Charity itself. A fleet of 15 ships is being sent to the planet, being commanded by the very prestigious Chieftain Captain Taurus, who will also co-command the ground forces to be sent to the place along with First Lieutenant Avery Jr. Johnson. The platoon that will be retrieving the prisoner consists of 19 Jiralhanae Majors, 19 ODSTs and 10 Sangheili Spec Ops. It is a priority to take back the Human alive, as it is likely that the Covenant knows his importance in terms of knowledge.

**14:22 – March 8****th****, 2531 – Bloody Dagger**

Taurus was on his bed, looking straight up at the ceiling, his bond-mate Samallix on top of him. Normally, he would think of something humorous to say about the situation, but he was far too concentrated on the massive amounts of pleasure his groin was receiving. This wasn't anywhere near the first or probably last time he fucked, but the truth of it was whenever he was in the same room as the black furred pulchritude, he became no better than a slave. His eyes closed with an extraordinary amount of pressure, feeling the climax closing in. He lifted his torso a bit, getting closer to bite her neck gently, moving his right hand to her face and keeping the left on her hip still. He knew even if his fangs cut her skin a bit, it wouldn't matter. After all, where Jiralhanae males boasted strength, the females made up in resistance thanks to their thicker skin. Even then, Jiralhanae women were still very strong.

Taurus found he couldn't hold it in any longer and fell once again on his back, letting out a roar in his frenzy. Even with his mind fogged by the intense peak, he felt more than satisfied that Samallix was in a similar condition because of him. It took _a lot_ of practice to know how to make one of his kind's women feel the same amount of pleasure a male would feel normally in a good lay, and his Samallix was a tough one from the start. But, through years of being bond-mates, he learned every inch of her, including what she liked, where she liked it. Finally, it ended, and he slowly started regaining sense of everything around him. Samallix hopped off of him and laid in bed next to him, both panting from the pleasurable workout. It was then that Taurus started chuckling. Samallix turned herself to him, asking with a curious, mischievous grin, "What's biting _your_ ass?"

"Nothing, really. I just find it funny how I've faced squads of Special Operatives, platoons of Hunters, entire armadas of Grunts, Jackal sniper assets, and I come out of each encounter fine and thirsty for cupam. You are the only person I know of who can truly bring me to my knees and make me beg. Ironically, I wouldn't be begging for my life, but rather your cunt." The exhausted Captain replied. Samallix laughed at the thought, another thing Taurus took pride in, and grabbed his cock firmly with her right hand.

"_I wonder why that is_." She purred with a malicious smile. Taurus hardly choked back a groan, and let it out as soon as she let go. She got out of the bed, back facing him, beginning to grab her armor and place it on, starting with the bodysuit. She then turned her head halfway back and said, "It's best we get ready, we will be coming out of slip-space soon. Your warriors are waiting for you down there."

"I know, I know." Taurus sighed as he looked at the ceiling. Though he enjoyed battle and the adrenaline it came with, he hated when it interrupted these types of moments. Even more so he was annoyed when he knew he wouldn't be going with his old squad who were now all Chieftain Lieutenants or Captains, but rather a fresh batch of Majors. He knew they were no pushovers, but it didn't have the same excitement in it. He was sure they looked up to him and he could make them laugh with the snap of his fingers, but he couldn't shake the thought away of how boring it would be in comparison to other thrilling odysseys he had been in before.

He remembered with a smile his old squad. Before he became the leader, Lydus took him under his wing, teaching him and Tartarus different strategies to use in battle. Sure, Maccabeus was the uncle that trained the pair of siblings in their youth, but Lydus showed them the truth of battle. He showed them that it was not just anger and proficiency in weaponry that truly gave them skill in a firefight, but rather knowing your team, timing your shots and other teachings not given just to any Jiralhanae. Other than Lydus was of course Samallix, there was also the massive beast called Gargantus, and not for any small reason, the intelligent Ceretus and short tempered Bracktanus. The only real anomaly in the squad was Samallix, mainly because female Jiralhanae back then were rare to find in the military. Nowadays, the matter was something completely different. When the Prophets saw the potential in the resistance and threat Jiralhanae females could pose, they figured their recruitment would be a wise move.

Tartarus was in a different team, one with Maccabeus, Lepidus, Parabus, Maladus and Amadeus. The leader of the team was Maccabeus, and like Lydus, eventually left the team and gave Tartarus the responsibility of his old place. They may have been two different teams, but the whole group of Jiralhanae was closer than most throughout their entire race were. Taurus frowned when he remembered how hard it hit Tartarus when the latter received messages from his old team calling him a traitor and questioning why he would stab the lot of them in the back. Tartarus nearly went berserk after hearing the entire video through, and it took his brother and his entire team to calm him down. Later, when his orange-eyed brother calmed down, the two of them alone talked quietly for a long while, Taurus managing to get Tartarus out of his short-lived depression.

"What are you thinking about?" Taurus heard from a now fully armored Samallix. He looked at her, finding her in a more serious position as she stared at him, playfulness gone out of her attitude and replaced by a thread of worry. Taurus looked back at the ceiling and muttered, "Our days of youth. How we would fuck around and have fun in easy missions, such as suppressing the Grunt Rebellions. How we had not a shit to give in this entire galaxy. Now, we have to worry about getting back Dossiac and killing the very people we once called brothers."

Samallix stayed silent, knowing the pain that was created by the very frustrating war. She sat down on the bed, completely shifting the balance with the weight of her armor, and cradled his rather long hair. "I know, Taurus, but they chose their path. As hard as it may be for us and our brothers, there is nothing we can do to convince them of the truth. Right now, the best we can do is fight for the Jiralhanae and their future, because it is among the things at stake in this war. Now go down there and let the battles keep your mind from these cruel thoughts and memories."

Taurus sat up to hug Samallix, a gesture that she returned happily as he sat his head on her cold armored shoulder. Taurus then murmured, "This is why I chose you."

Samallix smiled at him and returned, "And this is why I took you."

Taurus finally got up and began placing on his bodysuit. Whereas Samallix's armor was crimson to mark her rank as a Chieftain Lieutenant, his own was the deep purple that the Covenant liked to adorn on generally everything. Both of their armors were complete with helmets that resembled the Jiralhanae Honor Guards' helmets, with the exception that the orange protruding horns were the same color as their armor, as well as much smaller and bent back. The two had the shielding units that Sangheili Generals and the famous Spartans used, and also housed more room for ammo. Knowing his way around his suit as well as his own name, Taurus finished putting on his armor within less than five minutes. The two looked at each other and nodded, now leaving their room and heading towards the elevator in the hallway outside.

Walking through the violet halls, Samallix turned to him and said a quick goodbye, heading towards the bridge of the ship. She was, after all, his second in command. Taurus was quick to respond, looking longingly at the armored figure of his bond-mate walk away to one of the elevators. It was when she escaped from his view that he let out a very annoyed sigh. For the while, he chose to take off his helmet. Though the weight was much to his comfort, he preferred feeling his head fresh before he would truly need the strong piece of armor. He held it under one of his shoulders and walked on to another elevator, one that would take him to the aircraft depot, where the platoon was waiting. He walked in and turned around to press the button that would take the Captain accordingly, when an arm stopped the doors from closing, interrupting the giant's journey.

Taurus immediately recognized whose arm it belonged to and put on a very straight and cold face, sternly stating, "I see that you have arrived, First Lieutenant Johnson. I trust that my ship has accommodated you and has not given you any kind of dislikings."

The Human of dark brown color and black fur walked through, standing next to him with a scowl on his face, "Well, technically I have to say a yes to that. Though everything here has crappy quality, it works well enough. Though it's not your ship you should be worried about, it's that perfume that smells like ass that you put on this morning."

The doors to the elevator closed as it began its descent, continuing its trajectory despite the commentaries from the Human Lieutenant. For a minute, the two glared at each other, not breaking eye contact and much less their frowns. As much as they both tried, though, the two broke into a smile and ended up laughing hard enough to feel their stomachs ache. Johnson, being the first to recover, questioned with a smile, "'First Lieutenant Johnson'? You've got to be shitting me."

"What can I say, Johnson? I like to recreate different first impressions. And as for my peculiar smell, you will never see me be ashamed of it."

"And why is that?" The giant's friend asked with the same grin.

"Because it's not my own."

"Oh, ho ho ho! Itty bitty Taurus is finally becoming a big boy! Just remember, kid, if you're going to put it in, make sure you use protection! I don't want any little bastards running around my house when they aren't even mine!"

"Relax, you old cunt. I know my way around women better than you know how to smoke your own cigars."

"Now, now, don't get ahead of yourself! It's good to have dreams, Taurus, but not when they're an entire fucking universe away from coming true!" The two gave several hearty laughs and made small talk for a while. As of right now, Johnson had been the only redeeming quality about this mission. The two had been in several ground operations before, and they knew exactly how the other worked. Even outside the battlefield, the two got along excellently, starting to become close considering that they only knew each other well enough to call the other comrade for only three years. Their similar behaviors only strengthened the bond. Eventually, the two settled down and began to talk more seriously as the elevator got closer to the aircraft depot.

"So then, how do you think your ODSTs will fare on the battlefield? I know you Johnson, you are everything but a pansy in a firefight. Hells, you're one of the few Humans that any Jiralhanae would follow with respect, maybe even with admiration. My Majors are not the absolute best, but they know Jiralhanae grounds and territory more than well enough, something I am not sure you could say about your soldiers."

"Believe me Taurus when I say that I don't just pick any marine I find with a thumb up his ass. These are the real deal, and not just because they're ODSTs, I mean these are the soldiers who've been through hell and back. In fact, we were part of the same division."

"I do believe you. Thing is, I can't say the same for my Majors. They may get prideful when it comes to fighting and could perhaps create some undesirable situations. After all, most of them are blood-thirsty, and even more-"

The two stopped talking when the elevator arrived on the second floor of the depot as they were greeted by a loud chorus originating from the first floor. The two walked forward briskly and leaned on the violet railing, looking down at the 19 ODSTs singing one of the oldest and most symbolic war hymns in Human history.

"_There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute._

_Intestines were a'dangling from his paratrooper suit._

_He was a mess, they picked him up and poured him from his boots_

_And he ain't gonna jump no more!_

_Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die,_

_Gory, gory what a helluva way to die._

_Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die,_

_He ain't gonna jump no more!_"

The two looked around the room and found the Jiralhanae Majors listening intently to the tune sung by the group of war heroes, all Unggoy in the same hall looking at the group with both awe and fear. The Kig-Yar were sizing them up, and if the two friends could read looks, the ODSTs were being sized up fairly well. The Sangheili Spec Ops were looking at the group with respect, and not just the respect they would naturally give to Humans.

The group of ODSTs was then approached by the Majors, the Jiralhanae apparently began talking excitedly with their soon-to-be comrades. Taurus and Johnson looked at each other, the Lieutenant wearing a smile, and walked over to the stairs that would take them to the level below them. Soon they approached the group of thirty-eight, and heard the apparent leader of the Majors query, "That battle anthem's six hundred years old?!"

"Damn right! Well, almost. In less than a decade, it will be though." Responded one of the shock troopers with black hair a bit longer than a buzz cut and skin a bit tanned. It was not the type that was natural, but instead the type a light-skinned person gained under too much sun. And from the looks of him, he looked like someone who trained a hell of a lot more than most _especially_ under the sun.

"I have to say that is impressive! I did not think your species had as much experience in war as you actually do. I thought you would be more like the Kig-Yar."

"Experience? Hell, that anthem's only six centuries old. We've known war for several millennia!" the same ODST replied in his strong, southern accent. The large group looked at the arrivals and soon saluted the two. Whereas the ODSTs kept their palms and fingers straight where their foreheads were with their right hands, the Majors hit their left breastplates with their right fists and slid them to their bottom-right ribs. If Taurus remembered his history lessons correctly, it meant that they were ready for battle. The gesture itself was one of cutting the two hearts the Jiralhanae had with a dagger, hence the initial punch or stab at the first heart and then sliding the fist or dagger to the other heart. Though the his species had risen to a space-faring state and fallen back to a pre-technological state several times, the salute was among the few things to have stay alive in the race.

The two seasoned soldiers returned each their respective salutes to the combined crowd of Humans and Jiralhanae alike, before Taurus said, "It is time we get aboard the Phantoms. We'll be arriving within seconds and we will not waste time that the Covenant can use to call more groundside reinforcements, understood?"

"Sir!" The crowd yelled, the soldiers pertaining to his kind with eagerness in their voices. Johnson then took the liberty of continuing, "All right, we won't be able to keep an eye on you all, so we'll be having our second in commands leading nine of you like us. Eddy, I'm sure you'll open more than a can of whoop-ass on anyone that gets in your way. You'll be my second in command!"

"With pleasure, Johnson!" the tan ODST from before replied proudly. Taurus then stepped forward and turned to the Major 'Eddy' had been talking to. "If I understand correctly, you're Mactus. Reports say you've been successful in your missions, and equally successful when it comes to women. I respect that, and I will be placing the lives of nine of the Jiralhanae on you as my second in command. I trust that you will not get your cock in a knot, can you prove that you're able to do this task?"

'Mactus' held his ground firmly despite the hardly suppressed laughter of the others at the Captain's knack. He shouted with pride, "Of course, sir! I will not let you down, sir!"

"You can keep the 'sir', Mactus. I prefer to be called by my rank or my name rather than have my rear's end drip wet with saliva. I leave the ass-kissing to my rivals, not my squads." The Captain responded with a smirk. Once again, the group roared with laughter, leaving the Major to smirk at himself as well. It was much better to laugh at himself than pick a bone with one of the most dangerous Jiralhanae alive.

The ship rumbled and the group shook as they all dropped out of slip-space. Johnson now wore a stern face and shouted, "It's show-time, everyone! Let's go aboard the Phantoms and rain hell on those Covie bastards!"

The dark skinned man's second in command soon followed suit and cried, "You heard the man! Move your asses and get aboard the aircrafts!"

All scurried towards the lavender ships when the two leaders were stopped by one of the Sangheili Spec Ops, who still had not placed her helmet on. She bowed her head as she respectively recognized the ranks of the two, "Chieftain Captain Taurus, First Lieutenant Johnson, I am Sangheili Spec Ops warrior Roana 'Kariss, I shall be leading the other Spec Ops warriors under your command. We are all equipped with active-camouflage units and Energy Swords. Should you need it, we can be a stealth unit capable of assassinating any targets of strength."

The two looked at each other, then back at her with Taurus answering, "Of course, 'Kariss. We'll make sure to put your warriors to good use. And don't worry when I mean good use, we won't be using you all for target practice or bait. Now go, warrior. We best make haste if we are to retrieve the VIP."

"Of course, Captain, Lieutenant." With that, she walked with vigor towards her unit, who then walked under a Phantom and soon after levitated into it. Taurus and Johnson followed her lead, and went through to another occupied aircraft and stationed themselves inside of there. They crew of fifty felt their stomachs drop as they left the artificial gravity of the Assault Carrier, and had a feeling opposite to the one before when they felt the purple airships enter Molae Sarus's gravitational field.

"We are reaching the base of interest, Captain Taurus!" bellowed the pilot taking the platoon near a desert-like terrain, interrupted by a smooth mountain of mauve. The side doors opened and the troops hopped out, the crew placing their helmets on before doing so. They looked around to find an arid, rocky land. Everything around the seemed to be plagued by a color that could only be described as the missing link between a vivid red and a dark brown. Off in the distance they could see the Covenant base, a good five hundred meters away, standing tall and majestic. Despite the winds robbing the ground of sand, the violet outpost was impeccable on the outside, the metalloid shining under the intensity of the system's blue star.

Taurus looked around and smelled the aroma of the place. He could not smell any scouts or patrols from the fanatical Hegemony nearby. Having done that, he turned on the air filters in his helmet and looked around to nod to the rest, a sign interpreted by the platoon as one that they were safe so far. Taurus smiled, and began to say, "A woman was working at a specialized Jiralhanae breeding facility. She was going through the day's records when a Chieftain in full armor barges in, pointing a Spiker at her.

"The woman, who had a bottle of sperm in her left hand was shocked at the scenario before her and raced her hands, still grasping the bottle. The Chieftain yells 'Drink it!'. The woman, shocked, asks 'What?!'.

"The Chieftain once again roars 'Drink the semen in the bottle!'. The woman opens the bottle and quickly fulfills her assailant's demand. The Chieftain then takes off his helmet, to reveal that he is her bond-mate. Seeing her shock, he takes the opportunity to say 'See? That wasn't as bad as you said it was.'."

The entire platoon roared with laughter, most not expecting to have their Captain prepare quite a witty joke in the midst of the situation. Most ODST were holding on to a Major to keep themselves from falling to the ground, or at least, the Majors who weren't leaning on _each other_ for the same purpose. Even the Sangheili, honor-bound as they were, could not restrain their amusement. Soon, though, they stood up straight, and at Johnson's and Taurus's signals, they trotted towards the violet structure.

Jogging along the way, one of the ODSTs remarked, "You know, I should try that out with my wife one of these days."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Dave. Somehow, you keep forgetting that your wife still kicks your ass when it comes to target practice." Another of the ODSTs from the stampede replied.

"Dammit, Carol, you should at least be more open to suggestions! You drive me to resort to an ape's comedy material to get you to try something new!" The initial ODST yelled back.

"HEY! My comedic skill is an _excellent_ source of advice and wisdom! I will not have you spit on it and pretend it to be anything less, you insolent wench!" Taurus barked from the front.

All laughed while jogging, hurting their sides as they continued to run briskly to the location they were sent to invade. Only a few more seconds passed before Johnson and Taurus sent the signal to slow down and hide behind several boulders ahead of them. They separated into several mixed groups, no longer running as they took cover behind the large, protective rocks. Taurus, at the right edge of the boulder he hid behind, peeked to the other side.

He smiled at his luck, for he and his platoon had the advantage of a higher ground. The uneven terrain they had run through ended in a small edge, being two to three meters the difference between where they stood and where their enemies resided. The enemies themselves were nothing out of the ordinary. Several Covie Majors and Ultras reigned over a large amount of Unggoy and Kig-Yar that served as cannon fodder. He saw no vehicles in the area or Hunters guarding their leaders. The only wild card they could pull was if they had a reserve of Yanme'e, which still did not oppose too much of a threat to the prowess of the multi-raced platoon.

Taurus frowned in annoyance as he saw several Shades placed atop of boulders similar to the one he and his comrades were using. He began to formulate a plan that could lead to the quickest destruction of the enemy forces when he felt a light punch connecting to his left arm. He stopped spying his opponents to find Johnson's visor to be clear, showing to the large warrior his face. It had a look of clarity that Taurus was more than aware of. He grunted in annoyance and nodded his head to his friend. Johnson beat him to the punch.

"Alright, we've got about eighty Covies, sixteen of which are Ultras or Majors. Other than those, there are about six to eight Shades all occupied by grade-A assholes above some of the large rocks on the field. 'Kariss and her team are going to activate their cloaks and take them out when I give the signal. As soon as they do, the rest of us are going in, guns blazing. If we're gonna hit 'em, we're gonna hit 'em hard and fast, 'cause as soon as they know that we're here, they're gonna activate the alarms, guard the base and call reinforcements. Now ready on my mark."

Several distorted figures which could easily be passed off as the heat's effects moved near the boulders under the turrets. Dirt came off as the figures climbed the large masses, feeding curiosity to the occupants fighting for the Covenant. They were about to shout to their leaders about the enemies when Johnson whispered through the comms, "_Now_!"

The fight ended almost as soon as it started. 'Kariss's team had been more than successful, killing the Shades' occupiers as soon as Johnson gave the word, while the extra two Sangheili threw a fair share of plasma grenades at the commanding officers, killing three and wounding four. About to shoot at the now visible team, the rest of the platoon ran out of their cover and ran to the disoriented Covies, guns blazing. Suffice to say, the fight was short, mainly due to the fact that the least powerful weapon among the forty Humans and Jiralhanae was a shotgun.

The crowd trotted forwards at Taurus's order to come closer to the Covenant base, only a few dozen meters away. They were finally at an entrance which Taurus then analyzed. He looked around, taking the wholeness of the outpost into view and nodded. "Well, we truly have had a tremendous amount of luck. My radar is not picking up any sign of enemy movement coming towards us. It is likely that we killed the enemy resistance with such speed that they had not the chance to make their leaders aware of the danger coming. This is fortunate, for we are at the rear entrance. We are, however, far too many to move through undetected. Not to worry though, I already have a plan. Yes, that means you can keep your mouth shut, _Johnson_."

The crew laughed once again before the Jiralhanae went on with telling his plan, not giving any time for Johnson to make a witty comeback. "This is the rear entrance, which is generally used for emergencies. That is why it is far more elongated and thin than the frontal gate. So, if all of us went through here, through which we could arrive far more quickly to the location of the VIP, then it is likely that his guards shall execute him upon order. That is why a good forty of us will create havoc near the entrance where it is far more guarded. This would make their commanders summon as many soldiers as they can to where we will hold out, leaving the ten that will enter through here with higher chances of retrieving the VIP. I will be taking all of my Jiralhanae, and I expect at least half of the ODSTs to accompany us."

"Fair enough. I'll be leading the squad of five ODSTs, including yours truly, to where the man is. I'll be needing five of the Spec Ops troops for the element of surprise, while the rest can go with you Taurus. Eddy, this is where you come in. You'll be leading the fourteen ODSTs that aren't mine. The other five Spec Ops are also your responsibility, so watch over them. 'Kariss, you're coming with me. I need an expert when it comes to base layouts and it wouldn't be half bad to have the help of your squad when it comes to stealth." Johnson barked. The Sangheili nodded, and motioned for four others under her command to follow her.

Taurus then got closer to the man and murmured, "This is where we part ways, Johnson, but only temporarily. Believe me when I say it is hard for _anyone_, Covenant or not, to get rid of me."

"Trust me, big man, I ain't going anywhere just yet." The Lieutenant remarked. Though both of their faces were hidden behind helmets, both could tell that the other was smiling behind it. Taurus then turned to his men and shouted, "Let's go remind the Covenant that we show no mercy in war!"

The rest of the Jiralhanae and Sangheili roared at that while the ODSTs cried 'hooah'. Taurus then sprinted to the left of the entrance with the force of thirty-nine warriors following closely behind, leaving the group of ten Humans and Sangheili behind. The Captain then turned right as a smooth turn in the base's wall did the same. Though he went in the same direction as the wall, he ran more to the left to give and his warriors and himself some space. As much as he wanted to greet his opponents face first, his duty was to hold out to bring out as many Covies as he could. For that, he would need cover and space between his large team and the base's residents.

Now being a couple of dozen meters away from the base again, he smiled to find the terrain ahead to be far more rocky, filled with covers he could use. Now at least a hundred meters away, he signaled for the platoon to stop as the base turned smoothly to the right once more. They found the front of the base.

He groaned slightly when he saw that the ground at the front of the base had no such rocks and was instead quite flat. Basically, a half circle of flat dirt stretched for a good hundred meters, which would give them no cover. In the terrain's stead, several metallic covers were placed by the Covies to protect the dozens of soldiers of their own. If they weren't enough, then he knew the Wraiths, Revenants and Ghosts were. It was going to be tough, but maybe, _just maybe_, they could all come out of the operation alive.

"Warriors, this is going to be more than tough, but I'll bet anything that we can pull through this. Ten ODSTs will stay here on the left of the base with the fuckers in range, while my Majors and I will take cover in the front. The remaining ODSTs and Sangheili will go around unnoticed to the right side of the base in a place similar to that of the ODSTs that will remain here. When I give the signal, we shall all strike with our strongest weapons and destroy as many enemies as we can before they call to the base for reinforcements. Beware of their Wraiths, for they shoot upwards, not forwards." Taurus then motioned to the Jiralhanae and the group ran, not getting caught by the armada of fanatical soldiers. After they took their places behind several boulders once more, the Captain looked at the mixed squad of ten running past them towards their designated spot.

"On my mark." The giant whispered. All readied their weapons at the unsuspecting soldiers of several kinds, all looking rather relaxed at their posts. Taurus jumped out of his cover with his Brute Shot in hand and roared. "_FIRE_!"

Bullets, shotgun shells, explosives, grenades and countless other projectiles fired from the weapons the SA soldiers held. They quickly destroyed the vehicles closest to them and killed at least half of the two hundred enemies in the area. Taurus took cover again when the other side started shooting at them. He put his left hand to the side of his helmet and shouted, "That is your queue, Johnson! Get in there and find the VIP!"

"On it!" Taurus heard. He took his hand off his helmet to look up to find a secondary blue orb in the sky. He recognized the blue star first, and when he saw the other, he jumped out of the way to dodge the Wraith's mortar. Now in the open, he holstered his Brute Shot and took out his Spiker, pointing it towards the enemy soldiers with his right hand as he ran for more cover along his side of the field. He still had a couple of spikes left by the time he rolled back into another cover, though he still reloaded for good measure. He holstered it to place his hand on his helmet to cry, "Spec Ops warriors, your priority is to hijack any vehicle you can! Using them against the bastards could give us an advantage!"

He took his hand off again before he could hear the response of the five to roll again to dodge another shot of a Wraith. He scowled as he looked at the scenery before him. His soldiers trying to shoot while dodging the heavy fire of the Covies' vehicles, and beginning to be hit by their shots. Now angered, Taurus growled, "_Seven Hells_."

Once more, he ordered through the comms, "Cover me!"

With that, he ran to the enemy's territory at full speed. Several Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Yanme'e, Hells, every species that the Covenant had to fight for them got in his way. He felt more assured in his sprint when he felt the shots hitting him few and rare. Any enemy that got too close for comfort was immediately eliminated by his platoon. He kept on running as he got closer to one of the Wraiths, finally getting close enough to pounce at it and beat relentlessly at the entrance above it. As soon as it was destroyed, he stuck a spike grenade inside along with the Sangheili Ultra commanding it. He hopped off as the Wraith lit up in a blue explosion, flames dancing on its corpse. He grabbed his brute shot once more, firing several shots at group of Unggoy standing nearby. He felt the rifle click when the magazine was empty, and grabbed it backwards to use the blade on whatever the Hells was closest to him.

Not what he had in mind, he once again dodged as this time it was the arm of a Mgalekgolo that nearly struck him. Being faster than the tank-like being, he jumped behind it to stab the blade in the middle of its back, sliding it to cut as many worms as he could. The titan fell, not having been fast enough to avoid the Captain's strong jab. Taurus looked up to find several Jiralhanae that weren't his running to kill him. He placed the rifle on his back to grab his Spiker with his right hand and lift the Hunter with his left arm. Using its body as a shield, he fired several short, quick bursts, maximizing the weapon's efficiency. It was not long before they fell, yet as they did, a Ghost approached at full speed and rammed Taurus who still held the Hunter to protect him.

As his shields died, he felt as if he were flying. He soared at high velocities a few meters above the battlefield before he crashed at one of the Bubble Shields activated by those within it. He bounced off of it due to its resistance to that sort of damage and fell belly first to the ground. He looked around to find that the rest of his platoon was having a hard time as well, constantly being pummeled by the enemy. He turned to see that the Bubble Shield popped out of existence and the few Sangheili Officers inside of it took aim at him. He hopped to his feet despite how his body complained in pain and ran at the gang with only his fists. His Spiker had long since been lost.

He punched the first of the three Sangheili in the face, knocking her to the ground, and kicked the second in his abdomen. The third one alone, not even managing to shoot him, fell as he grabbed the reptile's head with both hands and forcefully broke his neck. The first Officer was getting up when she was stabbed by an Energy Sword, _her comrade's_ Energy Sword, and looked at the skies as she grieved for her honor in her last few breaths. Taurus pulled out the blade of energy and in a second beheaded the second Officer.

The Captain tensed as he heard a Wraith shoot at him from behind, and quickly looked at the corpses in hopes that his luck would save him. That it did, for the second Officer still had an untouched Bubble Shield. With speed and dexterity, he activated the shield two seconds before the bright blue mortar crashed atop of it. He stood up, now holding some of his ribs likely cracked to inspect the situation around him. The vehicles were fewer, and three of the Covies' Ghosts were hijacked by the skillful Spec Ops warriors, all of which were concentrating on a single Wraith. Another had a Revenant that was helping the warriors groundside that needed the aid. The fifth was nowhere in sight. He looked at the Wraith that shot him, a good dozen meters away, stupidly firing again at his impenetrable Bubble Shield. Two more were near it, as well as several Jiralhanae Majors, Sangheili Ultras and a couple of Mgalekgolo.

He knew he was mere seconds away from death if he did nothing with the time his Bubble Shield was left. Being in the center of the mayhem was not favorable in anyway, and he could only think of one thing that might save him from it. _Remember the difference, Taurus, it could be the means to glory in survival or shame in death_, Lydus's voice echoed. Taurus took a deep and unsheathed his _Vengeance_ hidden in his violet armor. The dagger's blade was extraordinarily fine, and even more valuable, as it was crafted from the strong, bright white Forerunner alloy. The blade was a whole meter long and twenty centimeters high, its width being the shortest at only one centimeter.

His heart's beats fastened and the adrenaline kicked in. He felt his Warrior's Rage kick in. The shield fell and Taurus sprinted faster than the Wraiths could fire, running behind the one firing at him and stabbing the cylindrical hole in its backside. He ignored the explosion and stabbed one of the Majors in the eye, ending another's life in a flash in a swing after he pulled out the dagger from the first's corpse. Three Ultras neared him with their Energy Swords in hand, ready for close quarters combat. What they were not ready for was close quarter slaughter.

Taurus dodged all of the slow stabs and slashes. Everything moved slowly and he took an advantage of it. He plunged _Vengeance_ into the middle one's neck, and grabbed the Energy Sword falling from her hand to stab it to her partner on the right. The energy blade pierced the right one's eye, not giving her time to scream or roar in pain, and soon fell with her comrade. He let go of the Sangheili's blade and sheathed _Vengeance_ to look at the third, who was shocked at the speed of the Brute. The third made the mistake of going for a lunge, which cost him his right arm as Taurus grabbed the arm mid-stab and ripped it whole from his body. The Sangheili let out a throaty bellow, and Taurus punched the warrior with all his might.

He looked up to find another Wraith nearing him ready to shoot. The Captain quickly grabbed the third, still on the ground and crying in pain, and threw the body just as the Wraith shot its mortar. The body was destroyed and Taurus was safe, something he also took a large advantage of as he rushed to the back of the Wraith to break his arm through its cylindrical hole and destroy anything in it. He heard a noise approaching from behind him and quickly unsheathed_ Vengeance_ with his right hand again, which gleamed brightly in the blue star's rays.

He rolled as the Revenant failed in its attempt to ram him and quickly charged after it, quickly getting himself on top of it. He stabbed at the Kig-Yar's eye, ending the miserable Jackal's life in a mere second. Lying on top of the vehicle he found a Ghost coming close at normal speeds to shoot him, to which he responded by hiding his blade again and jumping to the back of the Revenant to grab it. He lifted it as he spun around until he gained enough strength and velocity to throw the pink, metallic war-mobile at the Ghost with such a force that it destroyed both.

Now, he had the dagger in hand, panting, almost challenging at anything to come at him. Only one thing responded as the third Wraith finally got close to him. He was not sure if he would be able to stop the shot, and was about to sprint once more when the top opened and one of his Sangheili Spec Ops popped his head out to shout, "Enemies neutralized, Captain!"

He looked around the field to find the gore of his enemies staining the ground. Several small mounds of metal remained from Ghosts that had likely been attacked with heavy ordnance weapons. Many Revenants were looking to be following the same lines, and many Wraiths had their tops burnt as they had been eliminated along with their drivers. As for the corpses, they were numerous, leaving the sands tainted by a vast amount of multi-colored gore. He was relieved to find that none of the corpses were his platoon's. The thirty-nine came close to the Captain, all looking with awe and fear at the veteran's display of power. Nothing was said as they were interrupted by the gates opening to a small team consisting of six Humans and five Sangheili.

Johnson had his helmet off, which was being carried by one of the other ODSTs, and had the VIP's right arm around his neck to help carry the man. The man himself was one of messy black hair with a small beard growing from his inability to shave. Taurus looked and more closely at his face and found him to be in pain, as his eyes, blue or green, looked only to the ground lifelessly. Johnson nodded his head to Eddy, to which the latter responded by taking Johnson's place and helping the ex-operative. Johnson then took back his helmet and held it under his arm as he walked up to his large friend. The Human remarked, "_Damn_, I missed a lot, didn't I?"

"Look at the bright side, the mission was a success." Taurus spat out as he felt the pain he ignored before returning in full strength. Johnson questioned, "Something the manner?"

"Gods-damned Covies were rough. There were probably more than two hundred ground soldiers on the field, and at least a dozen vehicles. The good thing is we took no casualties." The giant grunted in response. He then nodded his head to the VIP and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"Turns out about a month ago the squad his wife was in was killed by some Innie moles. He's still pretty shaken up about her death. Apparently that's a reason why he resigned his post as one of ONI's operatives." Johnson said, shaking his head at the poor man's luck. The Lieutenant looked behind the Captain and shouted, "EDDY, DODGE!"

The other ODST instinctively shoved the VIP out of range as an Energy Blade swung from nothingness and made the soldier fall back. As the lone Sangheili decloacked and raised his right arm, 'Eddy' pulled out his shotgun and quickly ended the gator's life with an explosive boom. The headless Covie dropped besides him lifelessly, as two ODSTs ran quickly to the man's sides to lift him up. The platoon's two leaders ran close to the man and found the gash not to be too deep, something to be fixed quickly by one of the Pelicans heading down to get them.

"See? You idiots still think your snipers and your SMGs are actually useful, but _you tell me_ if there's any other weapon that could've gotten the job done like a good shotgun." The man coughed out while probably wearing a smile. Johnson looked at him, chuckling, "You're one of a kind, you know that, right?"

"Damn right I do, and I take full pride in that!" The prideful ODST cried. The crowd heard a Pelican coming down, back door already open for the troops and waiting. Taurus motioned, "Come on, Johnson, and take your friend with you. It's time to leave."

Taurus walked up to the VIP, who was now standing with some difficulties, and grabbed him by the upper torso, carrying him to the Pelican. As soon as they got on, Taurus got on the closest seat to the back entrance and sat the man down on the opposite end. Soon came Johnson, 'Eddy' and a couple more ODSTs and Sangheili. As they all sat down and strapped the safety belts, save for Taurus who had his weight, the black haired man gave a weary sigh and put his face in his left hand.

"Have you anyone left?" Taurus asked.

"Pardon?" The man replied at the sound of the deep Jiralhanae's voice.

"Have you any family left?" The giant repeated.

"I have a daughter, but my wife-"

"Then you have not lost all. Besides, if she is truly your daughter, then your wife lives in her, no matter whether she is dead or not. I doubt you would abandon your depression because the SA demands you to, but if you won't do it for them, do it for her. I don't doubt that she needs you alive and well physically and mentally now more than ever." Taurus interrupted, eyes looking directly into the man's eyes. The VIP nodded at him, and then sank his head back into his seat, passing out almost immediately. _He was more than likely tired of his nights in his prison and his dreams of his departed wife_, Taurus thought, _Hopefully, he will improve_.

The Pelican's thrusters began to take them to the skies above as Taurus watched out the back to SA Phantoms heading down to pick up the rest of the platoon. His eyes widened as several more joined them and shot down those of the Alliance. They dropped countless troops, firing against his tired platoon, now killing several at a time. He used his helmet's visor to zoom in on the fight, finding that despite the initial losses, the thirty-three were faring well. They were in the middle of the battle when a lone Phantom came and dropped off a single Jiralhanae covered in golden armor. All shot at him, but when he unholstered his hammer Taurus knew the battle was over. He turned and bellowed to the pilot, "FULL SPEED! WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A TRAP!"

Everyone aboard the Pelican save for the passed out VIP had looked horrified at the scene without even being able to speak. They were not given the chance to talk either as the Captain roared into the comms to the SA Shipmasters, "BEGIN THE SLIP-SPACE COUNTDOWN! IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE MY UNCLE'S MEN COME IN FULL STRENGTH! WE LEAVE AS SOON AS THE PELICAN LANDS ON THE _BLOODY DAGGER_!"

As the Pelican neared the _Bloody Dagger_, the ramp closed, but not before Taurus caught sight of the newly arrived Super Carrier and several slip-space portals appearing nearby it as ships came out. The Pelican quickly landed in the _Bloody Dagger_ and soon the ship, along with the small fleet, left the system, barely escaping Maccabeus's wrath.

**Author's Notes: Now, before you ask, the Sangheili _did_ laugh, which just goes to show how hilarious Taurus can be. I hope you've enjoyed, because I probably won't be writing for the next three weeks due to finals 'n' shit. All constructive critics and reviews are welcome, and it's been a pleasure writing again.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIVE! Now that I got that out of my chest (and my asshole), I'm extremely happy to say I'm finally done with this chapter and it is ready for all to read! Now, before I get to the story, I need to say something quick. Last chapter I only received around 7 reviews, which compared to the average 20 or so per chapter is not very good. I don't know if I was being shunned (or still am) for taking so long to post, but if it is, then I truly am sorry for taking so long. So, although this goes against my morality, I would like to ask you all to review this chapter as you've done before. Speaking as a writer open to critics and an attention whore, I need people to review this in order to see where I went wrong so I can improve as time passes. I feel like a dick for doing this, but I really would like to have people tell me how they are liking my story (or not). After all, it's pretty pointless if it's got no audience. Okay, now that you've read my apology/poor excuse for a favor to ask, here's the next chapter.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**The Devil's Apprentice**

**March 8****th****, 2531:** The _Bloody Dagger_, along with part of the ships belonging to The Fleet of Deserved Vindication, were sent to Covenant Jiralhanae colony Molae Sarus. The ground troops consisting of a mixed platoon of 50 ODSTs, Jiralhanae Majors and Sangheili Spec Ops, lead by Chieftain Captain Taurus and First Lieutenant Avery Junior Johnson, were sent to the planet to retrieve a captured ex-ONI operative. Though the mission proved to be a relieving success, most of the platoon was killed in action due to the VIP being used as the bait of a trap created by Jiralhanae Chieftain General Maccabeus. The trap would have destroyed the fleet were it not for the platoon's skill and speed on their mission, having earned time that would allow the small fleet of 15 to escape. Out of the 50, only 11 plus the VIP came back, having abandoned the rest for the sake of their survival, not having to be able to do anything about their deaths.

**March 11****th****, 2531**: The fleet arrives near the Unyielding Hierophant, Chieftain Captain Taurus himself reporting to the rest of the SA leaders about the failed ambush. Though nothing is known about their thoughts on sending high ranking SA Commanders to lead the fields, it is not unlikely that most will oppose the idea of losing anyone that could leave a large gap in their military, such as the Chieftain Captain.

**May 20****th****, 2531:** A team of SPARTANs are to be sent to abandoned Forerunner colony Refuge, where there has been a large amount of Covenant activity recently. It is in the highest interests of the SA leaders to know what the Covenant may have found on the world, considering the fact that they would use any discovery the could to their advantage. The team is to be accompanied by Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadum. They will be taken by the Commander's _Shadow of Intent_, along with several ships of the Fleet of Retribution. The ships, however, will be cloaked and hidden from sight, seeing as to how the mission is one of stealth and speed, yet they will be on the ready should the operation turn south.

**13:11 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Unyielding Hierophant**

_["So, my dear Carol, is it possible that there may still be a chance on open-mindedness on the terms of our beautiful marriage and just how we may make it just a little bit more exciting?" Dave asked, his visor moving to look at the ODST he questioned._

"_So, my charming Dave, how would you like to have my SMG right up your ass?" The figure in the camera answered. Plenty of ODSTs and Jiralhanae laughed at the remark. Phantoms were descending for their pickup._

"_Honey, why do you have to be so- INCOMING PHANTOMS!" Dave shouted, raising his Sniper Rifle to aim at the Covenant troop carriers destroying their escorts. Dave shot at one of the turrets, damaging it, only to be shot by another one. His shields flickered as he was sent back from the strength of the mortars, not taking any real damage himself. He looked to find the enemy Phantoms dropping enemies, including a pair of Mgalekgolo. The view moved and he began to shoot at one coming closer to the ODST he addressed before, who was now on the ground, while shouting with rage, "COME AND FIGHT ME, YOU FUCKER!"_

_The Hunter ignored him and immediately brought its arm up and crashed it down on the ODST, murdering her in a second. The ODST watching could only scream, "NOOOOO!"_

_The shock trooper ran, heading for the Mgalekgolo that killed his wife. He dodged its swing and plunged a live frag grenade in its back, killing it within seconds of its placement. He turned around only to see the arm of the other Hunter swinging sideways, hitting the ODST square across the chest. The shields had died, and his vitals were heading towards similar conditions. The body flew, visor still facing the battlefield, and crashed back-first into a boulder. The soldier's visor, cracked from the impact, could only look straight as the dying ODST looked forward in a sitting position, likely far too weak to even move his head._

_Through the cracked visor, the Mgalekgolo was seen murdered by the Brute Major Mactus, and soon all other Covenant forces nearby were eliminated by the platoon. Only five once live and friendly corpses could be seen sprawled atop the battlefield, not including Dave. The Phantoms above were being hit by heavy weaponry, including Rocket Launchers and Fuel Rod Guns, destroying the enemy carriers. Only one more could be seen coming down, dropping off a Jiralhanae covered from head to toe with golden coated armor. All SA troops stopped to look at the Covenant warrior simply staring at them from a distance before Mactus could roar, "IT'S CHIEFTAIN GENERAL MACCABEUS! FIRE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AT THE BASTARD!"_

_All ODSTs, Majors and Sangheili Spec Ops alive and there formed a wall, all quickly shooting at the solitary Brute. The first shots to have arrived being the explosive ones brought smoke and dust to cover the presumably dead warrior, only to run out of a Bubble Shield seconds after all exhausted their magazines. Unholstering a large war hammer on his back, in a stroke not even a Neurnlekgolo could pull off, he killed nine SA soldiers. The next second, those who reloaded fastest began to shoot at his shields which did not even flicker before he threw three Spike Grenades at the same time, all of which stuck to the head of three separate soldiers before detonating. The combined explosion and spike fragments released in the blast killed twelve more, dropping the corpses like freshly swatted flies. The surviving Majors, which composed the majority of the twelve survivors of the platoon, ran at the General, raising their fists in an attempt to engage the Chieftain in close quarters combat. The hammer stopped anything from happening to the golden armored Brute, striking them aside as if they were no better than rag dolls. Mactus came from behind and stuck a single plasma grenade to the General's back before rolling away from the blast. The smoke cleared to an unfazed Maccabeus, his shields only now glowing a bit more before quickly regenerating. The Brute came close to Mactus slowly, prompting the Major to strike only for the Chieftain to dodge and strike his legs with his hammer. Agonizing, Mactus roared as he fell to the ground, an act cut short as the General raised his hammer and crushed it against the SA warrior's head. Lifting the hammer, only a reddish pulp with bent blue metal could be seen left of the Majors head, something long since gone. The General made his way closer to the ODST sitting down, before static appeared in the man's helmet to the point of the scene no longer being visible.]_

Faith sighed as the video ended with the words 'CONNECTION LOST'. This wasn't her first time seeing the clip, nor was it her first time seeing just how brutally powerful the General of the Jiralhanae Chieftains was. Her room, not unlike the one she resided in High Charity, had been undisturbed for a while for what little time she had for herself. Even then, her mind was plagued by the war she was leading. It was hard to remember a night where she had not questioned her decisions and just how many people she may have killed because of a choice she made. Though she had to admit that nothing would have been comparable to the amount of guilt and self-hatred she would have had if she _didn't_ make those choices. A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts, motioning her to turn her head and say softly, "Come in."

The door opened in several different directions before no longer being there for her protection. On the other side was the elder Chieftain Captain Lydus in his armor befitted to his rank, nearly camouflaging him with his violet surroundings. The old veteran stepped inside, surprisingly quietly given his size and weight, including that of his armor. The doors closed behind him as he tilted his head to see the screen which displayed a scene not unfamiliar to him. "Your Honor, I can see that my cousin has been disrupting whatever peace you may have from the war."

Faith turned her head to look back at the monitor, the same two words formed after the static took over the screen still there. She moved her finger to one of its holographic controls, turning the machine off. The video had come with a portrait of the soldier 'David Winchester' on the top right of the screen, showing her from who's camera it was taken from. It truly was cruel to only be able to see just how much the soldier suffered in mere minutes, all the way up to his death. "I don't think I'm ready for this, Lydus."

"Your Honor, speaking as one of the Jiralhanae's oldest and highest ranking representatives, one that has fought wars _before_ we were inducted into the Covenant, I do not think any of us could have been ready for this Hells-damned bloodshed."

It was one thing to hear Thel 'Vadam, honorable and considerate as he was, to say these words in consolation. It was something else entirely to hear something like that coming from a high ranking warrior of a warmongering species like Lydus's. She knew that him being one of the oldest Jiralhanae alive gave him a certain level of wisdom and empathy, something to be rare to hear from his race. But even then, the thought of a master at war being humble enough to say that he was not ready for such a strife filled her with dread. She looked at him as soon as he started speaking again.

"What is fortunate is that when I say any of us, I mean everyone. The Covenant is no exception. Maccabeus and his crew of prestigious Chieftain Lieutenants may have impeccable records on the battlefield, earning a victory as soon as they step on our soil, but so do we. I may be old, but for the weariness of my bones, I still fight quite well. There are also the pair of siblings we know to be Tartarus and Taurus, perhaps some of the youngest and therefore greatest Chieftain Captains we have. In turn, we also have our own group of Chieftain Lieutenants, all of which are equally skilled in combat as their opposing counterparts.

"For every time either group of Jiralhanae enters a field, the battle is won, so neither side has an advantage. As for the Sangheili, they have their Arbiter 'Moramee, their new Special Operations Commander Sesa 'Refumee, and their Supreme Commander Jul 'Mdamee. For their adversaries, we have Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinra, Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadum and Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam. They, just as us, have proven to be invictus when it comes to fulfilling their given, or rather _self-crafted_ missions.

"I could go on about how both sides are equal and how it would end in the destruction of both forces, but the case is different for us. We have allied ourselves with the Humans, what I would call a wild card race, namely because they are characteristically jacks-of-all-trades. They are useful for using brute strength, devising strategies, providing back-up, handling stealth with ease and several other traits. They are meek physically in comparison to a Sangheili or Jiralhanae, or practically blind when put next to a Kig-Yar, but they are a bit of everything. That is why their Spartans are so dangerous. They are basically what Humans are but enhanced in every aspect. Having them as allies are what will give us the edge on this war, Your Honor. I won't ask you to have faith, for it is traitorous and will not give you anything near the assurance you need, but know that we will be the ones standing while the graves of our enemies shall be engulfed in their corpses."

Though his way of stating the facts was crude, Faith did feel reassurance at his words. The old Jiralhanae gave a short bow, leaving with only a 'Your Honor' as a parting goodbye. At his absence, her thoughts soured again when she thought of her enemies' countless tombstones. _Perhaps he is right, but at the cost of how many of our own will our victory be absolute?_

**13:29 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Shadow of Intent**

John-117 walked through the violet corridors, his helmet reading the strength of his shields and counting his ammo. Unlike the Mark IV.2, the brand new MJOLNIR Mark V was lighter, even more maneuverable, and had a hybrid of the plasma shields high ranking SA leaders would have mixed with a purely human one powered by a miniature nuclear reactor. In the reports, the shield was still just as strong as the others' shields, but in truth, it had a good 1.25x the resistance. With a shield that strong, the extra 25% was a tide changer without a doubt. John remembered how Samuel was hyped when he saw the Mark IV for the first time, and though he hadn't been as exhilarated as his brother in arms, he very well understood the giant's reasoning. The Mark V, however, caused the same effect Sam had had on all of the Spartans. Even Halsey was especially proud of her work, stating that with the help of funds saved by SA support and the technology given by the ex-Covies she was able to forge the armor that could have taken her at least another twenty years to create.

The unofficial leader of the Spartans kept walking, holding his more than trustworthy Assault Rifle in his hands. After passing several Sangheili walking the other way, he came across a relatively large gate to his right. It was probably tall and wide enough to fit three Neurnlekgolo side by side at the gate. The gate's security sensors recognized his armor and parted into several segments to let him through. A very short, dimly lit hall awaited on the other side, only object of interest being another gate like the first at its end. Only walking just a few short steps, the gate behind him closed and the next opened to a large, wide room. In it resided a group of his Spartans in complete suit of armors save for their helmets, all of which were talking in a circle. The room was basically a big lounge befitted to the group of Super Soldiers, having their own given ratios of food and drinks there, a couple of couches made for Sangheili, amongst other relaxing additions.

In truth, during their two-day long trip, the Spartans rarely used it, sticking mainly with the training halls where they could spar with Sangheili on the ship and with each other. Only about a good half hour ago did the team decide to spend their last moments there to relax before heading down to Refuge for their stealth operation. On separate pieces of furniture, John could see his whole team in an uneven circle, all talking in a single group. They turned their heads at the sound of the arrival, smiling at their brother and leader. Closest to him, Sam-034 and Kelly-087 were the first to stand up to greet him, soon followed by Jamie-005, Anton-044, Li-008, Grace-093, William-043, Kurt-051, Linda-058, Frederic-104 and Serin-019.

Blue Team was whole, gathered for yet another mission to cripple the Covenant's forces or morale, in this case the second was to be done. John didn't say a word and only took off his helmet to show the smile the golden visor had been hiding. No one said hello or any other type of greetings. Spartans communicated well through their eyes, something perfectly visible in plain sight only to others of their own kind. John finally said, "We'll be arriving in a couple of minutes. We're going to get down there and follow Commander 'Vadum's orders."

Kelly quickly picked up on how John's eyes quickly turned stern. She knew he was going to say something and promptly asked, "What is it?"

"We are going to follow _his_ instructions when he requests them and how he requests them. As your Lieutenant, I'm ordering everyone of you to keep an eye on him. He may have his Active Camouflage and excellent combat skills, but that may not be enough for where we're going. I want you to watch his six at all times. We can't and _won't_ afford another Shipmaster's death at times like these." He spoke, his raspy voice interrupting the silence in the room. Though he didn't speak much of it, all Spartans, especially those in Blue Team knew just how hard he was on himself with 'Lortell's death. Knowing that the sniper had been aiming at him and he didn't notice it in time made the man feel responsible for the Field Marshall's demise. Everyone in the room nodded their heads at him, having every intention to follow their leader's orders. It also helped that they would be aiding a Sangheili, perhaps the aliens that the group of Super Humans admired the most. John relaxed a bit and tilted his head to the gate. "Let's go."

The Super Soldiers quickly placed on their helmets, beginning to ready themselves for the combat that would soon come. The green armored giants stepped out to the corridor, golden visors hiding their faces from any and all watching them. They headed towards one of the elevators, the compartment descending towards the Commander's coordinates. They arrived at a small aircraft depot, not having nearly as many Phantoms and Banshees as the regular, larger vehicle storage. The hall could be around twenty-five meters by a hundred meters, them being in the middle of the right side. The place had only one floor with maybe a few platforms to help pilots climb into the anti-infantry machines. Several elongated tables were nearby, all holding weapons and special pieces of equipment marking the depot as the Spec Ops depot. At the end of the hall to their right they could see the changing waves of a misty white-purple matter past the blue plasma shields, a sign that they were still in slip-space.

An entirely white armored Sangheili walked towards them from the same direction, stopping only a couple of feet's distance away from them. The Commander hit his right fist against his left breastplate, a salute returned by the Spartans' own Human salute. _To give their hearts to Sanghelios, the Alliance and their Gods_, John thought. The Spartan learned that before the Sangheili discovered their second heart back in pre-technological times, they were religiously devoted to their God, Staliu. Such was the case that they would offer their only known heart to said God, dedicating themselves to fight for the Sanghelian entity. Times changed, and from giving their heart to Sanghelios, the Sangheili and Staliu; they went to giving their hearts to Sanghelios, the Alliance and their new Gods. Having allies of different races prompted the Spartans to learn of each to know them truly well, a mindset approved by Halsey.

"Spartans, you have arrived beforehand. I am glad your timing is impeccable, for it'll be needed in the operation to come. Follow me." The group holding a flurry of diverse Human weapons did as they were told. Coming across a few crates filled with one of the Sangheili's favorite weapons, they were given a sign to stop by the Commander. "Each of you grab an Energy Sword. I know that your knives are your personal weapon of choice when it comes to bullet-less close quarters combat, but I can assure you that enemies of my kind equipped with energy weapons will melt your blades. I have seen the reports from the first mission of the original members of what is now your Spartan Blue Team. It was either a miracle or an intense amount of luck that your knives lasted until the end of your confrontation with the Special Operations Squad. Despite the high resilience of the metal used to craft those blades, they were rendered useless by the time you got back to your ship. To prevent any risks of a matter like this to occur again, all of you are to be equipped with Energy Swords."

The Spartans nodded and did as they were told, taking whichever hand they had free to grab the grip of the inactive weapons. After magnetically holstering the weapons to their thighs, they continued their path led by the extraordinarily experienced warrior. He turned his head to the right to face them without fully turning his body back. "Wait here, I shall board and pilot the Stealth Phantom. I suggest you grab as many munitions as you can and ready yourselves, for there will be no reinforcements coming to help us."

"It wouldn't be a Spartan mission if we needed reinforcements, Sir." Chipped Kelly. All chuckled at the remark, the only one actually discernable being the Commander's own. "Very well then, Spartans. I shall see for myself why so many of the Alliance's warriors view you with such reverence."

The white armored reptile went to the wall and climbed the stairs placed next to it to enter the troop carrier. The engines lit up and the lights flashed on, signaling the Super Humans that the Phantom was ready. John stepped first under the cylindrical hole of the aircraft to be levitated inside, soon followed by Jaime, Kelly, William, Li and the others. It didn't take long for everyone inside to feel the miniature quake a ship would get when exiting slip-space. Though they couldn't see outside, they guessed that the Assault Carrier had activated its stealth systems and cloaked itself from the world. The Phantom they did know thanks to several different lights from the inside proving their suspicions true.

"So, how long is it that our Active Camouflage units will last?" John heard Jaime ask.

"About a minute tops. Chances are we'll only be needing them a few seconds at a time." Fred replied, serious as always.

"True enough. Li probably won't be needing her knife either." She quipped. Li looked at the other Spartan and simply shrugged. Like John, Li wasn't a Spartan of much words. She let her martial arts do the talking for her. Sam, who had been silent throughout the chat chuckled, "Wow, we're probably going to be sent to a Forerunner base filled to the brim with fortifications and hundreds of Covies. Piss poor odds for them."

The Super Soldiers laughed in silence, knowing fully well that the statement was true. It was just then that they heard through the comms, "We have arrived, Spartans."

Most were in a very small amount of shock to know that not only had the Phantom taken off in the time they were speaking, but it had also passed through the planet's gravitational field and reached groundside without them taking notice. They hopped out the sides, their armors hiding well with the wildlife around them. Tall grass and thick trees reigned in their territory around them without a single animal in sight for them to see. The top of the Phantom's front head opened, allowing the blinding white armored Commander to step out. After hopping down to join the Spartans, he pressed a few buttons on his forearm's screen, triggering the Phantom's camo once more. He looked at them again and ordered, "Follow me."

John made sure to wink green on the Sangheili's HUD, something he could safely assume all the other Spartans did as well, to assure the experienced Specialist that they understood loud and clear. Rtas activated his armor's invisibility and began to walk in the general direction of the enemy location. If the Spartans still had just the MJOLNIR Mk IV.2, they would have had to follow him by seeing the slightly visible yet transparent outline of the Elite. The Mk V allowed otherwise. It came with advanced FoF tags detector and formed visible green outlines to invisible allies. Yet another of the many great perks of the brand new armor.

As they walked through the mass of giant trees, all had their weapons raised with their fingers fondling the triggers to shoot at a moment's notice. The area wasn't too bright save for small batches of sunlight around them despite the sunny, cloudless day due to the imposing flora that served as a natural rooftop. Walking in silence for several minutes, they stopped when the Commander's outline came to a halt. Making several hand gestures, the Spartans understood that there was a patrol team nearby. John holstered his Assault Rifle despite the fact that it had a silencer attachment at its end as well as the others' weapons. He as well as the rest of Blue Team believed that in a mission like this, they were better off conserving ammo even though they brought extra mags.

Unsheathing his knife and activating his own invisibility unit, he walked closer to the Sangheili's position. He noticed a six meter drop between their ground and the dirt road two Covie squads walked on. They consisted each of a Brute officer and several Jackal riflemen, together having ten troops. On his HUD, one of the Officer's body was covered with a blue outline. He winked green, understanding that she was the Sangheili's target. He quickly picked the second one, the Jiralhanae being coated by a cobalt contour on his visor as well. In a matter of seconds, all shapes had the SA team's eyes trained on them, being waited patiently to walk to where the group would hop off to assassinate the fanatics.

The moment came and Rtas made the gesture in silence. It wasn't three seconds before they impacted the ground, knives plunging into the necks, heads, or other vital portions of their opponents' bodies. Preserving time by quickly hiding the bodies, the team went to the opposite direction the patrol squads were heading through. Camo wore out for the Super Soldiers, though their olive green armors did not earn much attention from the few spots of light they stepped under, barely being reflected on the metalloid's surface.

The green flora around them began to withdraw to its natural habitat as it made way to pristine white floors native to Forerunner architecture. Taking cover behind the last few trees the forest had to give, the stealth team activated their camouflage units and observed the area ahead of them. Upon closer inspection, the Separatists could observe how it had one large round wall of at least twenty meters in height in the shape of a semicircle, probably for better defensive capabilities. John saw how it had a fair amount of Covenant concentration in and around the patio-like area giving entrance to a hundreds meters tall structure. Though likely not the main entrance, it had a large amount of protection to prevent any saboteurs from entering.

A few dozen Sangheili and Jiralhanae minors occupied small fortifications native to the place, at least five Mgalekgolo pairs standing near the entrance at the middle of the semicircle, and maybe a hundred Yanme'e stationed vertically on the protective walls. What John couldn't find was the head of the opposing troops, giving him an almost ignorable sense of paranoia. Through his helmet, he heard Linda mutter, "_Heads up, we have a Raider_."

It was then that John looked at the top of the semicircular construction to find a decent sized balcony. On it was a single vigilant Neurnlekgolo, watching over the warriors under its command. The word '_damn_' crossed John's mind before he quickly began to formulate the best possible plan that could get them inside without anyone aware of their presence or their team taking any casualties. It was going to be difficult knowing just how destructive and intelligent a lone Raider could be, let alone one accompanied by a platoon of Covie troops. They were better than a Hunter in every way, going from height to strength to intelligence. If the fact that they were around four and a half meters tall wasn't enough, then their exoskeletons very well were.

Crafted by San'Shyuum, Sangheili and Jiralhanae engineers and weapons masters, the Neurnlekgolo' suits were fit to the amount of damage they could deal. Though the bottom half was just a larger version of a normal Mgalekgolo's armor, the upper half had the large difference of having two actual arms rather than just a shield and a cannon. Their hands had four large fingers modeled after the strong Sangheili hand, all of which could be closed to be used as a fist or retract to reveal the holes in the middle of their hands which held their cannons. The most dangerous thing about the combination of the Neurnlekgolo and the impressive suit was just how much faster the two worked together than the average Hunter. Raiders have been noted to be quick enough to dodge and block attacks from regular Hunters and also to use their speed and intelligence to counter the attacks. By all means, Raiders were deemed one-man-platoons. The Spartans had confirmed it after their first encounter with one resulted in the near-death of Kurt.

"_Spartans, there are several antennae near where some of the Brutes and Elites are garrisoned, and they are not Forerunner_. _I suggest to make that our first target so they will not contact reinforcements or give away our position_. _While they are being destroyed, perhaps a barrage of missiles could reduce their strength in Drones significantly_. _While this would even the odds, I'd say it would take at least three of us to take the Raider down, so it'll fall into the responsibility of the other ten to eliminate the other targets_. _I will be amongst the three that will kill the Raider, for my expertise in handling my blades shall dispose of the whoreson's back protection to expose its weakness_."

"Understood. Kelly, you and I be aiding Commander Rtas. The two of us will be using our Energy Swords against the Raider along with your speed. The rest of you will be with Fred against the rest of the Elites, Brutes and surviving Drones. When the Commander gives the word, Linda will destroy the antennas and the rest of us will kill the Drones." John looked at his HUD as everyone winked green at his orders. He waited in silence, pointing his Assault Rifle at the Yanme'e troops quietly, awaiting the veteran Separatist's order. "_On my mark_."

"_MARK_! _SHOOT THEM ALL_!" John heard. He raised his weapon as soon as the Sangheili gave the word and began to shoot at the airborne soldiers. The uncalled for bullet storm gave the team a serious advantage in the element of surprise. John counted a little over seventy of the insect-like troops dead by the time his magazine had been used up. He activated a couple of plasma grenades and tossed them at some of the remaining Drones. They fell near where the destroyed Covenant antennae were. After reloading to finish off the remaining Yanme'e, the soon to be battle between the stealth team and the guarding Covenant forces was interrupted by what could have been mistaken by a thunder. The Raider had rapidly hopped down to the floor to end the upcoming firefight before it could begin. In a second, the Raider went from its kneeling, landing position to one standing up and prepared for combat. Its sight was set on John's no longer invisible body, and if the Spartan was right, then the beast twice his size would immediately destroy their cover behind the trees.

He signaled the others of the trio assigned to kill the Raider to head directly for it before it did damage to the others' defense. He left the safety of the rather thick bark to sprint at the giant awaiting his arrival. Running, he saw Kelly pass him quickly and slide in between the Neurnlekgolo's legs. After passing through, from belly first she turned to her back and shot her twin SMGs at the titan's back. It didn't last long, as the Raider immediately responded to the attack on its faulty spot. Whipping around near as fast as the hare herself, it ran towards the prone soldier at a high velocity. The Spartan hopped onto her legs and ran for one of the pristine white walls, the Raider close behind.

Finally reaching the wall, she used her momentum to run up the wall five steps before kicking off at a good six meters above the ground. She was taken by surprise when rather than crash against the wall, the Raider stomped its right foot against the wall, stopping itself completely and slightly bending the metal inwards. Looking at her as high as she was, it leapt from the wall and stretched its arm, grabbing throwing her with all its might at the unforgiving floor. Kelly's reflexes kicked in after rolling at least a good fifteen meters despite the difficulty of the task. Using her muscles to stop her trajectory was as painful as it was to keep rolling after the powerful impact. Shields down and on all fours, she turned her head up to the front while still somewhat dazed by the strong attack, eyes opening in fear at the sight. By the time she had turned her head, the Raider was only a few short meters from ramming her and finishing the kill. She would have likely died were it not for another body crashing into her, leaving her out of the titan's path.

Rolling once more for what had been a painful tackle to her left ribs, she looked to find that it was her close friend that had saved her from an early grave. Like before, the Raider stopped in its tracks rather than keep at its course, defying its unnatural weight with its even more extraordinary strength. The two Spartans were now at their feet, focusing on catching the giant's weak point. The hardship was immense, for whenever one Spartan distracted it as the other reached its back, the Raider would get in a new position disadvantageous to the Super Soldiers. Juggling between hand to hand combat and using their weapons whenever they could, the pair saw no end in the fight between the three. Only after resisting long enough did they see a shimmer of refracted light. Immediately the two began pressing at the humongous cluster of worms from the front. Taking a more defensive position, the Raider blocked any attacks made by the Spartans, unaware of the invisible Commander behind him. It was when Rtas made the final step before the swing of both of his Energy Swords that the Covie heard him. The unfortunate placement of the body of one of the dead Jiralhanae gave way to enough sound for the titan to take notice of the ambush from behind. Though the white armored Elite managed to cut off the much lighter armor protecting the accumulation of orange grubs, he was not able to dodge the powerful uppercut aimed at him. His shields took the damage, but the blow of the large fist at his stomach was enough to send him flying and out of the fight once more.

Angered at the fact that it was far more exposed now, it raised its efficiency when in combat with the two Spartans. Each blow it gave left no room for them to get behind and kill it. It did not take John by surprise that eventually the Raider got the best of Kelly by outsmarting her and her speed, though it did anger and worry him much. The kick it gave to her abdomen may not have been as harmful as it could have been, but given her already weary status, it was more than enough to knock her down and out. Despite 'Spartan Time' having already kicked in much earlier in the battle, John knew that the Raider still outclassed him in every way and would eventually kill him if he didn't change his strategy. Any more thoughts he could have given the subject were knocked aside along with his entire body as the giant sucker punched him in his entire torso.

He landed against the locked entrance of the Forerunner ruin, sitting down as his shields were depleted once more. It was all he could do to look up and find the Raider already a few meters away from him, beginning to aim one of its hand-cannons at him. He threw one of his only two plasma grenades at it, sticking to the metallic limb and exploding harmlessly. The titan grunted as the blast caused the cannon to aim elsewhere and miss the shot. Knowing that all he had left was a sole plasma grenade and it would do nothing but slow down the incoming Raider. He looked anywhere and everywhere in the short seconds he had left to try to find anything that might save him. His answer was given when he looked up at the platform where the Neurnlekgolo once stood observant. The square, half-meter thick surface was horribly bent at its tip, from where the Raider plummeted itself with all its weight to the floor the Spartan was lying on right now.

Looking back to the Covie, he found that the cannon was already aimed at his head and beginning to glow in preparation. Hoping his luck would do the rest, John threw the last grenade completely upwards, making the Raider reel its arm back to avoid another grenade blast. Upon seeing just how badly it missed, the titan gave a condescending shake of its head before raising its arm one last time to finish its hunt. It wasn't the explosion that caused it to look up, but rather the sound of metal bending and detaching from the Forerunner structure. By the time it had processed what had happened, the large chunk fell heavily on it, knocking it to the ground on its front side. Even then, the heavy platform had not managed to kill him. In its stead came Kelly with a single SMG on her right hand to go to the side of the trapped Raider, orange worms more exposed. She did not hesitate to empty out her whole clip as soon as she pulled the trigger. Finally the Raider laid dead, unable to stand and wreak havoc on the now finished firefight.

Standing up relatively more relaxed, John looked around him and found the sea of alien corpses a comforting sight. Murder wasn't something that he did out of pleasure, but watching the unmoving bodies was an indication that his team had prevailed and were keeping up with the mission. Reappearing out of thin air again, the Specops Commander half limped to the two while clutching his right ribs with his left hand and holding a Plasma Rifle in the other. Ten more olive-armored Super Soldiers followed closely behind the alien now blending in with his surroundings. They made a small circle, and in its center was Rtas. "Spartans, I am glad you were victorious in battle again, especially the two of you that went against the Raider. I see that your luck is also no myth, Lieutenant. I am sure it's what watches over you in this war preventing your demise."

The Elite now took a more composed stance as he looked at the ruins that became the antennae. "I am also glad that despite the excessive amount of noise made this continues to be a stealth operation. As far as I know, none of us have lost our Active Camouflage units yet. We best move more quickly, though. Raiders are tough as they are rare. A single loss is something to be made aware of immediately, and I don't doubt that given enough time, someone will radio it and will raise alarms when not answered. On the positive side, it is dead. Even better the news is that this was a guard to what's inside. Raiders are generally commanders, strategists, and powerful ground troops that change the tide of a fight, be it an average skirmish or a ship-filled warfare. To send one to guard a place, even a Forerunner base, is an indication of just how important what's inside is. Help me hoist its body. The door will likely open to a scan of its hand."

As soon as the reptilian finished speaking, Kurt, Will and John helped the man take the platform off of the corpse and drag it to the entrance. Putting its hand against a Covenant scanner placed next to the gate, it lit up and opened, giving way in to the place. Rtas walked through first and the rest followed. After walking through the empty, dimly lighted corridors for a while, they stopped when he did to analyze a group of ancient hieroglyphs on the wall.

"'_An ode to what we've lost, this colony once ignored has become a small beacon of hope for our kind in these horrid centuries. A temporary Refuge. A mid-waypoint between our dying worlds and perhaps what may save enough of us after we wipe out the Shaping Sickness. I do believe that after this is done, we will regrow and thrive once again. I believe we will live to see the day that the Humans will return to their former state and inherit the role of The Mantle of Responsibility, as it should have been from the start. I believe. I believe and I hope. Light-of-Firstborn-Delivers-Harmony.'_ This is truly interesting."

The Spartans had listened as the Sangheili read the written account. With the help of Mendicant Bias, many once unknown drawings and hieroglyphs gained meaning through translation.

"What was that about 'shaping sickness'?" Serin asked.

"I am not sure. Perhaps it has something to do with the undefeated foe the Forerunners and Ancient Humans once faced. I am more interested in the fact that this is a waypoint. I am sure that the Covenant is just as interested to know to where this planet leads. Let's go, Spartans. With more reason now we must hurry."

With that, the team of thirteen jogged silently through the pristine white halls, activating their invisibility units shortly.

**14:53 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Hammer of Reprisal**

Maccabeus took a final look at Refuge before giving the order to leave for High Charity. After all, his delivery of the package would aid in the unlocking of the planet's secrets. Within seconds of his command, his Supercarrier left the defending fleet off to where the Covenant's capital had been moved. A safety measure to ensure no harm to the Prophets. He gave a few more orders to the pilots in the large bridge before leaving to return to his private quarters. Walking through the purple ship, he encountered several warriors of all kinds, every one of them saluting him. He ignored them yet kept an eye on the salutes. Most Jiralhanae looked up to him as if he were one of the Gods and were eager to prove this to him. He honestly did not care. The Sangheili did the same with resentment and perhaps a small amount of fear. The second one was likely due to the fact that the time one of the reptilian pricks chose _not_ to salute him, he made a public example of how such an 'honorable' species should not behave. Needless to say, no one ever went by him without saluting in fear of having their throats quite literally ripped out.

He finally arrived to his Captain's Quarters, taking a look inside the big room. Despite the bed's largeness and softness, he felt no need to rest any more than he should. Instead, he looked at his personal desk facing the door he just entered. More specifically, he looked at the monitor. The giant wasted no time in turning on the holographic machine, eager to use its many functions for perhaps the most meaningful thing to him. He searched through the Synthetic Veil vast amounts of things, from messages sent to him, to electronic odes. The most important thing he searched, the thing that he searched and read _every day_, was of course _The Emperors of the Galaxy_.

He spent the next hour reading his daily dose fifteen testaments and anecdotes before closing the tab and looking at his unread letters. If there was something no person who was a part of the Covenant could deny, it was his undying devotion to the Gods. The Emperors of the Galaxy was what told their history, achievements, ascendancy to Godhood, and most importantly, their final path to The Great Journey. He memorized the passages as well as the most intelligent San'Shyuum, something not lightly said. To him, his life was given true meaning when he was made aware of the truth of the Mighty Forerunners. Where the previous Gods the Jiralhanae worshipped were nothing more than myths and lies, proof of the fact that the Forerunners existed once and had the powers only Gods could wield were everywhere. From planets built by them to retellings of how they had fertilized countless worlds with life, they were the embodiment of what true omnipotence was.

The centuries-old veteran sighed. At three hundred and seventeen years, he was the second oldest Jiralhanae alive, toppled only by Lydus, who by now reached three hundred and fifty-one. He was still in more than excellent condition to fight, for age rarely took its toll on the constantly trained muscles of the Jiralhanae. That and the fact that the average Jiralhanae was capable of living up to half a millennia, give or take a few decades. But age was not what troubled the silent warrior. The fact that most of his kind was so young and infinitely more eager to wield a weapon than to use their time to read tired him. He did not deny the pleasure of combat, but education could improve the status of his species infinitely more. Great examples of that embodiment would be his two nephews. The youngest Chieftain Captains alive at seventy-five and seventy-three were equally as powerful as the other two to two and a half century old warriors of his own kind. _Damn them for denying our Gods and leaving me with a race of incompetent idiots too thirsty for blood for them to look ahead._

He sighed once more as he thought, _perhaps the Gods' observation on how we've eradicated so many of their Demons will help them overlook our general ignorance_. He heard on another device next to his monitor the voice of one of the Chieftain Lieutenants, _Maladus_. "Sir, we have a pair of captured Heretics from our attack on one of their colonies. They appear to be related. How do you suggest I interrogate them?"

It did not take long for the General to think up an answer. "Interrogate one by threatening to kill the other. If that does not work, torture the other. When the first breaks, hear everything he or she has to say. Tell him or her that if he or she says everything, the second will live. When you are done, kill the first. Then torture the second when you are done to be sure to have any and every bit of intel. When the second is no longer of use, dispose of him or her."

"At once, General." The General was about to shut down his monitor when a single message of prioritized importance was sent by Amadeus to him. First seeing the title, he opened it to read what it was about the derelict ship that could be so important. _Not Forerunner_, the General read. The Lieutenant Amadeus was certainly one entertained and curious for strange and queer subjects, for instance music. So as the giant read on, he asked himself what could be of such importance that the unusually smart Jiralhanae had to say that wasn't about their Gods. As he read on, he was taken by surprise by the Lieutenants findings. He looked at the device next to the monitors and pressed a single button. "When shall we arrive to High Charity?"

"It shall be a day's trip, General Maccabeus."

"Good." _At times like these, perhaps the Prophets could do with something like this to ease their nerves on the war._

**Author's Notes: Well, that's Maccabeus for you. I'm assuming by now you've guessed (or if not, then now you know) that the chapter's title refers to him. Other than that, I've spent a hell of a lot of time writing the fight between the Spartans and the Raider, and even more emphasizing the latters toughness. In short, if this were Borderlands, the Raider would practically be a badass Hunter. I guess it's a little touch to set apart my story from the others a bit more. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've had writing it, **and all constructive reviews and criticisms are welcome. Emphasis on the welcome.****

****The Almighty Afroduck,****

****All Hail****


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: Well hot damn, I'm back, and JESUS it's been long. Well, not much to say except to apologize to you all for not writing shit last month (I blame all 4 seasons of Game of Thrones and the first season + all the manga from muthafuckin' Attack on Titan). Something quick that I would like to ask you guys, though, is who should take the role of Commander Shepard (because we will eventually reach that point). The point of Shepard is to make a character of your own and how you can reflect your personality on him/her through your actions and decisions. However, we have the entirety of the Haloverse to select a character from, so I don't feel like I'd need to put Shepard in my story. Those who do like the idea of someone else taking the torch, here are the only two options I've ruled out:**

**1\. Any and all Spartans. We all love them for the badasses they are, but let's face it, it's MUCH better if we keep them together. Most non-Spartans that could be assigned to them would be way too subpar with their skills.**

**2\. Avery Jr. Johnson. Goddamnit, we all love Johnson for the natural badass he is and I had considered making him my Shepard at one point, but if you stop to think about it, he wouldn't fit in well with the role. He's the type of guy who'll walk up to you with a shotgun and blow your head off. The point of Shepard is to be more stealthy and also a bit politically oriented.**

**I'd like to hear any and all suggestions (preferably Haloverse only), and I won't delay you further from the chapter I've held back.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**The Package**

**15:00 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge Central Control Room**

The Arbiter looked on as several tech experts worked their way with the numbers being repeated by the unconscious Human. The console in the center of the large hall created by their Gods was becoming less and less cryptic, a sign that they were getting closer to deciphering it. As much as he despised the fact that a Demon had to be brought in to unlock the secrets of the relic, the damned being had proved its use. The unholy bastard had been brought in by force, and it took a very forceful Brute to make him put his hand on the holographic sphere created by the structure. As soon as he did, the once dark room lit up fiercely with light as it levitated the Human that had touched it.

As soon as it was over, the room returned to its former state, leading the reptilian to believe that the system had malfunctioned or that Maccabeus had hoaxed him along with the rest of those in the room. He crossed the second possibility in his mind as he put more thought into it. The Arbiter loathed the Brutes near as damn much as the Demons, but even then, he had admittedly come to accept their usefulness. And for the amount of hatred that he held towards their leader, a part of him had come to respect Maccabeus for fighting as fiercely as he did for the cause of the Covenant. The last thing the General would do would be to trick them into doing something wrong that could possibly desecrate a divine site.

He was about to search the Human and possibly kill him for his lack of usefulness when he suddenly started to mumble what at first the Sangheili thought to be incoherent chatter. Upon closer inspection, he heard the being stripped of armor murmur a very long series of numbers, pause, and repeat them. He made sure to grab the Demon by the nape and placed him close to the San'Shyuum in charge of the uncovering of the structure. Hearing the Human, the tech expert gave her orders to those under her charge, all quickly pressing several holographic buttons with Forerunner hieroglyphs tattooed on their centers. The intelligent engineer had come to the conclusion that the relic had imprinted some sort of code in the Demon's brain, and now the man was repeating said code.

Now looking to the console as the crew finished writing the numbers murmured by the Human, it suddenly became dark. The darkness was short-lived, as the hall was lit up by a large holographic map pointing to a star system rather close to the edge of the galaxy. It pointed at one planet particularly, bringing out the curiosity in all those watching. The San'Shyuum inspecting the monitor came closer and studied a now larger and detailed version of the planet. She widened her eyes and cried, "It is a world constructed by the Gods! From the information their holy console is giving, the gracious planet is apparently a giant military garrison that has been named by them 'Armageddon'!"

"What does it say, ma'am? Can it be of our use?" Inquired the giant reptile.

"Perhaps it may. I am downloading these files and coordinates to your ship. Aboard it, we must contact the Hierarchs of our findings. In the meantime, check on your warriors, Arbiter. Make sure that they are well and still keen on defending their posts."

"At once, ma'am."

He may be the Arbiter, but when it came down to it, all bowed before the San'Shyuum. He did so willingly because of their extensive knowledge on their Gods and their excellent guidance that would soon lead them to the Great Journey. If anyone else demanded him to bend a knee, however, he would highly consider disposing of the imbecile's tongue. Thinking more thoroughly of it, he doubted he would need to consider it. He began to walk out of the short hall, or large room, depending on how it was looked at. Passing by the several San'Shyuum engineers and a couple of Honor Guards there to protect them, he finally exited through a large gate. He looked up and sighed. The comms center was a long way from the bottom, meaning he would be further away from the engineers he was supposed to protect and the divine core of information this world had to give. A small part of him was already conjuring thoughts on the type of punishments he would give those at the hundred and fiftieth floor of the installation if they did not tell him what he wanted and _expected_ to hear.

**15:07 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge Right Wing Barracks**

The team kept sprinting silently as they took out more and more guards that blocked their path to what would be the center of the installation. Knowing that eventually they would get caught, they thought it best to keep going with as much speed as they could to use the element of surprise to its full extent. Their run came to an end when their Sangheili leader made the signal to halt. While the hall they ran through kept going, a large gate to the right caught the Commander's attention. The Spartans voiced no question despite their interest in the veteran's order, and instead chose to analyze their surroundings to deduce what was the object of interest that made Rtas stray from their course. Their attention came to a large amount of cables coated with perfect white paint to covertly camouflage into the pristine white ceiling. One of the few things that gave away their disguise was the neon cobalt glow that would go inside of the wires and make them stand out from the silver surface.

"Those wires," the reptile began, "hold a vast amount of importance if what they lead to would be inside a well protected barrack. I dare say they might just be the ones in charge of connecting certain levels of power around these quarters. While it does kill me to desecrate such a holy structure, I do believe it will buy the time that we'll need to understand what object of importance lies in this colony. Our stealth will not last forever, of that I have no doubt, but doing this it mayhap be enough to retrieve what this place has to give."

"Understood, Sir. We'll take care of any hostiles inside." The behemoth with the serial number '117' on his olive green armor replied. He already motioned the other Spartans of Blue Team when Rtas held his arm halfway up. The crew nodded at the Commander's initiative, fully well understanding his intention to lead. Positioning themselves at defensive stances while aiming at the soon to open gate, all engaged their invisibility units. The doors opened to a large room filled mainly with Sangheili Spec Ops, who at the sight in front of them quickly aimed their weapons at the doorway. Whereas most would dismiss this as the door's malfunction, the operatives knew more than well enough to what extent the Active Camouflage worked.

The apparent leader, looking at the 'empty' gate with suspect, was about to raise her voice to order her warriors to fire when a blade removed her upper neck and head from the rest of her body. Decloacking, Rtas unsheathed his second Energy Sword in his right hand and charged at the other twenty-four Sangheili. Next came the salvo of bullets originating from the Spartans' silenced weapons, ending the lives of a good half of the Covies in the room. A war cry emanating from their leader denied them the idea of killing off the rest of the Commander's targets.

The experienced Fleet Master now engaged the twelve remaining Sangheili into a sword to sword brawl. The first Covie made for a lunge that dearly cost him his arm, soon followed by his head. The next two came from both sides, one swinging her blade downwards while the other attempted a lunge like the first. Both attacks were blocked by his dual wielded swords, and soon he ended any more attempts the two could give by spinning in a circle with his arms as spread as his limbs could reach. This resulted with killing the two and mortally wounding a third assaulter who had unwisely come to confront the Commander in close quarters combat.

Two more Sangheili chose to drop their blades in order to shoot Rtas with their Plasma Rifles. Proving to be ineffective as the Separatists deflected all hits with his swords, they activated their plasma daggers and charged at the man. Rtas barely made an effort as the daggers of his enemies could in no way compare to the swords he wielded, a mistake that led them to succumb to death. Killing a seventh operative that had attempted to assassinate him from behind with her Active Camouflage Unit in use, the four remaining enemies circled him like a pack of wolves eyeing their prey. Rtas stood his ground and took a pose that readied him for the continuous attacks that he would soon receive. The Spec Ops troops did not wait long before all four slashed and hacked at the Sangheili in the middle from all sides. No matter the strength, speed or strategy behind the slash or lunge, no sword ever harmed the Fleet Master's pristine armor. Rtas ended the conflict with the survivors of the Spec Ops unit when he kicked the one to his right, beheaded the one in front of him and spun eighty degrees in order to lunge at the other two with his Energy Swords. Hearing a groan coming from the Sangheili he kicked, he stabbed a single blade in the operative's stomach and sliced it upwards. Were his weapons unable to cauterize his enemies' wounds, he would have likely been coated in violet blood.

He switched off his right Energy Sword and holstered it on his thigh when he heard a grunt from the Sangheili he devastated with a hack. He turned around and closed in on the warrior's sprawled body, looking at her pained-filled and resentful eyes. She coughed blood on the metallic floor, staining the ground with her purple gore. Finding the last bit of strength she could muster, she growled, "Damn you, Heretic Commander. Damn you and your _Demons_ for delaying our Great Journey and staining our Honor."

Though the Spartans were still not used to reading alien facial expressions, they could tell Rtas was hardly containing his anger. Walking towards the soon-to-be corpse, he raised his right foot and pressed it against the Covie's chest wound. Despite her best efforts to hold it all in, she screamed as the increasing pain overcame her resistance. Rtas looked directly into her now tearful eyes, thinking over his next few words. "Damn _you_ for blinding yourself from the truth and forsaking the Sangheili to a ruthless path of sinful ignorance. One that has had you murder an innocent species in the name of our Gods and the False Prophets. Know that with my sword I shall silence you and kill as many members of the Covenant to replenish the true Honor of the Sangheili."

As he finished, he raised his left arm and stabbed her right heart. Her eyes, though dead, still had the same resentfulness from before, yet with the change of perhaps having a slight amount of regret as well. Pulling his blade out, the Commander looked around the room, surprisingly not too big or complex for what he assumed would be inside. He faced the first Spartan that chose to speak at the moment.

"Sir, I get the feeling this isn't a room connected to this place's power." Kurt spoke. He looked around him before continuing, "Maybe if it had been bigger and had better protection then it could have been, but frankly, there isn't much room for power generators or machinery to be able to power this whole place to begin with."

Rtas looked around him to find all the cables leading to a console stuck to the wall. The Spartan's observations were all likely spot on, and it would have frustrated the veteran if there had been nothing of worth in the room. He turned to Kurt once more and inquired, "Spartan, are you the one that many speak of for having a 'sixth sense' for intuition?"

"Not what I'd call it, but yes Sir."

"The monitor in front of us could likely be hacked with the help of several programs left to us by the Oracle. However, this is a Forerunner installation and it is likely that it will have the defense systems that could help block the programs, which could lead to us getting caught and losing the progress we have made. Would you say that what the console may have would be worth the risk of losing our element in stealth in this operation?"

The green behemoth shifted his weight between his legs, taking few seconds of their time to ponder over the question. It did not take long for him to come to a stop. "It's risky, and we may be under a lot more strain if whatever firewall the monitor has can trigger the alarms, but I'd say we go for it. For all we know, this could help us the rest of the way to our checkpoint."

"Very well. Guard the gate, Spartans. I shall see to it that the hack is successful." Rtas nodded. The crew all chanted a simple 'sir' before forming a barricade and activating their invisibility units once more. Rtas came closer to the console, all the while placing a hand on the side of his helmet's earpiece. "Doctor Xrass, have you analyzed this console yet? I need to know all I can on this machine."

An elder voice came through the comms, replying, "Yes, Commander, in fact I have. The firewalls this holy machine holds are sturdy, but they are far more likely to succumb to the strength of the Oracle's viruses."

"Have you found a percentage on the probabilities of the two possible outcomes?"

"Getting them now. Rejoice, Commander, for our preferable outcome outnumbers the other four to one. We hold eighty percent chance of success in the hacking of this machine while the failsafe only stand a chance at twenty percent." The elder spoke.

"That is far more than I had expected. Thank you, Doctor. You may begin sending the virus."

"At once, Commander."

The console began to light up whole, varying with intensity every second, going from a dim glow to a blinding white light. A few minutes dragged through the painstakingly long process of the system's hacking, until its lighting returned to its original state. At first, the thirteen felt chills racing down their spine when they heard it emit a strange noise, fearing that they had triggered the alarms. The fear that entered their thoughts disappeared as quickly when rather than a loud blaring, in came the sound of several voices.

"-and anyways, how are we going to tell the Arbiter that Captain Komohane Tepui has gone dark? I don't want to be killed because the Raider hasn't been responding our calls yet."

"_Damn it_. Pray to the Gods that the giant does return his calls. Right now, we need every Neurnlekgolo we have against these Demons and heretics. And you know that I don't want to be the one to tell him any more than you do."

"He's less than five minutes away from getting up here! We have to do something. And preferably, something that won't interfere with the engineers and the Holy Artifact. Like alerting them which could lead to preemptive evacuation when it could simply be comms failure on the Captain's end. For all we know, this could be the dif-"

The thirteen took a moment to all look at one another, quickly processing what they had found and what they had heard. Serin was quick to say, "The Arbiter's here. We should splinter, maybe some of us can-"

"Not today, Spartan. I know what you are thinking of. Killing 'Moramee is going to be a secondary objective, but right now, it is our priority to retrieve whatever this place has to give. As much as it kills me to not be able to drive my sword into his bloodless hearts, the evidence of there being something of a value too high to ignore grows stronger. While assassinating him would be a mighty blow to the Covenant, he would be replaced by another skilled Supreme Commander that the False Prophets could favor. Said Commander would come nowhere as close to filling the armor of the Arbiter, and although 'Moramee is still a terrible option, the morale would be recompensed once more. This structure could hold tide-changing technologies or knowledge or weapons that could determine victory or defeat in this war. Right now, we need every warrior to focus on this objective. However, rest assured. His death _shall_ come, and sooner rather than later."

After Rtas finished lecturing them, he put his fingers to the side of his helmet once more. "Doctor, with the virus in this system, could you knock out the central comms center of this structure?"

"I do believe so, Commander. In fact, having it there could even help me neutralize every sector of the structure's comms and all the warriors' earpieces." She responded.

"Don't. Stick _only_ to the head so that it may be isolated from the others. Having all the comms rendered worthless would give us great advantage, but it would give away our infiltration and they would immediately evacuate with this place's value. Having only the already idle center would buy us time. However, when the time comes that we can no longer have stealth working for us, _then_ you can neutralize the comms. Though you can neutralize the Arbiter's as well as of now. He does not need to warn the others of our presence."

"Very well, Commander. Neutralizing the central comms room and the Arbiter's personal comms piece."

Rtas turned to the Spartans once more. "We must go at top speed, Spartans. Our element of surprise is nearly worn, and we will soon be persecuted by every warrior stationed inside this structure."

"Spartans, double time!" John barked as he charged after the racing Sangheili, eleven more of his own hot on his heels. Despite their height and weight, their boots made no sounds, and whatever visual evidence could be seen of them was lost to their Active Camouflage.

**15:21 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge Central Comms Room**

The room was filled with nervous whispering, all of them awaiting the arrival of the ever-feared Arbiter. What had started as a suspicious power outage on the Captain's part had turned into a full blown communications black out. Having occurred mere minutes before the leader of the Covenant's Sangheili could reach the room, they figured there was no point in taking the long ride down just when someone was arriving. Despite several attempts, they could contact no one, not the engineers, not the Arbiter and certainly not the ships. All that they could do was expect the coming of the foul tempered Sangheili in the room. Loud, heavy footsteps closing in on the place silenced anything the group might have had to say in the tense conversations of before.

The doors opened to a huge reptilian, even by his race's standards, clad in ancient armor of platinum shade. Eyes large and unforgiving, they fit the scowl the powerful alien had to give. He turned to them, controlled rage easily discernable in his voice, "I have contacted you whilst arriving up here. I trust you have a good explanation as to _why_ that is."

Though by now most were far too intimidated by the giant to report their disadvantageous circumstances, the bravest of them stood up and stuttered out, "Arbiter! We have been attempting to contact you the way up here! The communications network has been shut down on our end and-"

"What do you mean _shut down_?" The menace growled at the cowering comms expert. The Kig-Yar struggled not to yelp at the gargantuan warrior, and barely managed to continue, "It-it started with Captain Komohane Tepui not responding us when we attempted to check up on him-"

"What in the _Hells_ do you mean he's not responding?! _How long ago was this_?!" The Arbiter roared. The Kig-Yar, along with the others in the room, near shrieked in fright at the veteran's far more aggressive response.

"O-o-only about fifteen minutes ago, sir! By now it must be twenty, but we only thought it was a minor ma-ma-malfunction! We attempted to contact you on your way up here, but then everything in our systems blacked out with-without explanation!" The Kig-Yar could hardly stand as the looming giant maintained silence as he walked towards him in a predatory style. The giant only stopped when he was face to face to the far smaller alien as he put fingers to the side of his helmet with the intent of contacting his superiors. "Engineers, be on the look out, this holy structure may have been infiltrated. Finish your work and-"

He stopped midsentence when he realized that nothing was getting to the other end. He barked orders, insults, anything he could in a slight amount of disbelief at what was happening. No matter what or how he tried, his voice was lost as his personal comms compartment was no longer of use. For a minute he remained silent as the others watched him in utter fear. He looked down on the small comms expert and asked, "You were at the head of this?"

"Ye-ye-yes, sir! Forgive me, sir! It'll never happen again, I-" The man was cut off as he felt a weapon of searing heat and concentrated energy pierce twice through his stomach. With his last fading reserve of energy, he tilted his head towards the Sangheili, looking through the pain at his eyes. The eyes, filled with nothing short of rage and perhaps a slight amount of pleasure along as well, observed as the comms officer coughed his last breaths contaminated with fear. All the others may have screamed or called for help from the sight, but having no one to contact and nowhere to run, they could only pray for the giant not to pick them as his next prey. Savoring every bit of his kill, he turned to them, sword still in hand and growled, "You will get the comms running once more. Fail to do so, and your deaths shall not be as merciful as his."

"AT ONCE, ARBITER!" All but him cried, immediately trying to get their monitors back up and powered again. The giant returned briskly to the elevator at a pace to match the anger and pressure he felt at the likeliness of an infiltration. Once more, he was inside the compartment, impatience in him growing as the contraption took its rather sweet time in reaching the bottommost floor.

**15:26 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge Central Barracks**

The stealth team took a good look at all the troops before them. Rtas was looking at the type of defenses he had expected when infiltrating the previous room filled with the operatives, except perhaps even larger. Being inside the infrastructure gave no way for the Covenant's vehicles, allowing it to be a far more 'fair' fight, yet they still managed to carry Shades in to his minor dismay. Unlike in more open terrains, camouflaged bodies were far more discernable here, where the security was also more thorough. There was a large difference between protecting a fortified base and a room filled to the brim with vital knowledge. The Commander then chose to speak, "Spartans, I number our enemies in the dozens, perchance in seven. Not a particularly difficult fight, yet as soon as we do this, we lose our element of surprise for the rest of our operation. From then on out, we must be quick about our duty, for any and all reinforcements this base still holds shall turn to us. We shall hit hard and fast, and then run to our objective behind this room when we've defeated the forces defending it. Understood?"

"Sir." Came the reply of Blue Team, all of its members ready for yet another firefight.

"On my mark… MARK!"

**15:28 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge Central Control Room**

The engineers were scurrying as they finished up their work with the machine at the center of the room. Now having a datapad in her hands, the head of the engineers attempted to contact the Arbiter, but to no avail. In the meantime, she chose some of her Jiralhanae Honor Guards to place the Demon in a cylindrical to be taken with them. Neither her nor her engineers held a clue as to how much information was imprinted in the unholy being's brain, information that could not be lost to the heretics. She was walking towards the end of the long hall outside the room when she heard one of the side entrances open to the giant leader of the Sangheili. His jaws were moving slightly up and down from the agitation of running, eventually opening to give way to, "We must leave. Now."

"Arbiter! What's happened? What is the meaning of this?" The head of the engineers queried, anxiety accompanying her tone.

"We have been infiltrated. Captain Komohane Tepoi has gone dark and is likely dead. Sound the alarms!" The engineers gasped and the Honor Guards readied their weapons. More and more people leaving the console alone left no one to notice the inactive explosives placed around it with invisibility units. Only when one of the Sangheili in the room made his way to one of their own consoles to warn the others did the heavy ordinance trigger. The blast shocked all, leaving most in fear that they had already been infiltrated. It was when the Arbiter ran to where the detonation took place that he realized that some of the remains included burnt pieces of a purple metalloid he knew better than his name. He knelt on one knee before the scenery, searching his memories for what may have been the cause of this, until finally he growled, "_Maccabeus_."

He turned to the San'Shyuum with the datapad still in her hands and shouted, "Contact my ship! Tell them we are in need of extraction without delay!"

"Head engineer to the _Vigilant Sentinel_, we are in need of immediate withdrawal! We have been infiltrated, and we have a package to be delivered directly to High Charity!" She yelled through the comms.

"We read you, ma'am. Head to the extraction point south of where the Arbiter's-" She heard as the voice turned to static.

"Hello? Do you read me? I repeat, do you-"

"It's useless. The _Demons_ have sabotaged my comms unit as well. Did you get anything from the ensign?" The veteran questioned.

"I-yes, he said the extraction point was somewhere south of where something you have in your possession is." She replied, calming herself from the circumstances. At her response, the Arbiters neck craned back and his eyes relaxed, almost pleased with what he had heard. "I know what he spoke of. Follow me and make haste, our enemies may be savages, but they are not unintelligent."

**15:39 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge Central Barracks**

The last Shade was destroyed by Linda's piercing sniper bullet. The already damaged defense automation lit up in flames along with the last soldiers defending it and what lied behind the place they had stationed themselves to protect. Rtas looked past the different leveled platforms and at the wall behind the Covenant fortifications. The wall was filled with patterns in black and reached the twenty-meter high ceiling. It was then that came Rtas's realization. Not even giving the Spartans the order, he simply ran to the center of the large place, a storm of footsteps closely following. Nearing the door, sensors triggered and a small square at the center of the floor elevated a little above all else with a simple hologram at the center. Being at the exact center of the titanic room, the Fleet Master had a good idea on what it was for. Running up to it and stepping on the square, he noticed the small hologram had only a simple silhouette of a human hand. He turned his head sideways to see the leader of Blue Team already at his side. The younger Human looked at the Sangheili with a questioning tilt of his head and the other nodded his head in turn.

John pressed his hand against the hologram and the wall in front of the group began to light up where the dark patterns lay. Light cobalt replaced black, and soon the large gate open in several different ways, eventually giving no sign that it was once there. What lay beyond them was a very long hall of the same size of the room except perhaps thrice as long. At the end of it was a door already lit up and ready to be opened, awaiting for the group to enter it as it was. Running the whole way until they reached the smaller door, they stepped through only to find a circular room with a destroyed console at its center.

"_Damn it_!" Rtas cried as he ran to analize the destruction of the relic. "I had feared they would destroy the artifact in the case of an infiltration, but I had taken it for a chance far too low to consider. Now we've lost the chance to find out what those bastards managed to learn!"

"Not yet, sir. The burn marks look pretty recent. Chances are they've just left, so we can either steal back the information they got from this place by taking a hostage or we can kill the workers who were here and make sure no one gets the info." Fredric retorted.

Rtas gave it only a second of thought before saying, "You are right. We must follow their trail immediately before it grows cold or before they are extracted. Let's go."

The Spartans sprinted towards an exit they had found at one of the sides of the superbly large hall. Rtas gave one last look at the destroyed relic before noticing the special type of mauve metal that decorated the floor in pieces. He grunted in slight surprise before running off to catch up to the Super Soldiers.

**15:46 – May 22****nd****, 2531 – Refuge South Campsite**

The young man barely groaned as he felt his consciousness returning. His eyes remained close as he failed at attempting to adjust them to the ever-blinding light. It took a few more seconds before he could fully awake to see that he was in what looked to be an elegant coffin. Taking his surroundings more into account, he noticed how he was placed inside the space-less box as he managed to just barely run his palm across the walls he was enclosed in. Although dark inside, the light from the hexagonal glass front of his prison revealed that it was a rather phosphorescent shade of violet. It was as cold as steel, and effectively quite tough to bend from the sides. The front however did not look like it had too much ability to resist strength, and he would have attempted to break it had he not heard voices outside of his cell.

"-and as of now, we're still a good kilometer from his ship."

"The Arbiter must have something fairly powerful to keep the Kings of Demons and that damned heretic Rtas 'Vadum at bay. He seems to be relaxed at the moment despite the fact that our enemies are much faster than us."

"Still, his arrogance can tend to get in the way of looking at things from a more logical point of view. Having to drag this Human along the way has only served to slow us down, and in the time we've lost, the Spartans could arrive within a few more minute's notice."

"I suggest you hold your tongue or speak quietly, should the Arbiter hear such a thing coming from you, he may just behead you for doubting him."

"He ought not to try, it'd be nothing short of treason. I, no, _we_ are not under his command. We serve only the San'Shyuum. If he want my head on a pike, he'll have to request that permission from the Hierarchs themselves."

"You forget that we are at war and that the Arbiter can be considered an inexpensive commander. We hold no love or admiration for him and we may choose to voice that, but the High Prophets would not execute him when we need every last abled body at this war. Even if he does kill us."

"You forget, brother, that we too are inexpensive. The fact that the San'Shyuum lost half of their population when the Great Schism fell on us all, the Hierarchs refused to leave any of their kind unprotected. Even if the Arbiter couldn't be executed, that would not do anything to diminish their anger at having me killed to the point of perhaps sending him to a mission he would not come back from."

"Either ways, it is best to avoid this scenario all in all, brother. We can't afford to lose Honor Guards nor commanders. As much as I may hate the Arbiter myself, avoiding confrontations is the best way to go while we still fight in this war."

_Shit_. Between the fact that a small amnesia had plagued the man's head from the moment he awoke and the fact that he was being held prisoner, the man felt he had not enough hope or luck to escape his predicament. _Wait_, crossed his mind as he tried his best to connect the dots wherever he could find them. He knew how to fight pretty damn well, though perhaps not enough to take on the Honor Guards holding him captive. And yet, knowing that he was being held by the Covenant and there were people coming after them, Spartans maybe, it was the best he could strive for. Besides that, he could only hear the voices of the two in front outside of his small cage, meaning he may not have another chance at having so few guarding him. Looking closely at the blurry crimson outlines of the Sangheili outside, he found blue blurs on top of their legs. Taking a deep breath, he elbowed the glass in front of him and grabbed the first weapon he could get his hands on.

As it turned out, he had taken only a few plasma grenades from one of the Honor Guards' holsters. He only had a second to see that he was on a path to which on the sides was nothing but a thick forest. Realizing all eyes were on him, _far_ more than he had anticipated, he activated the first of his four grenades and threw it at the two crimson sentinels roaring at him. The small sphere stuck to one's breastplate, and the man made the move to roll out of the way. It detonated and killed both, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. About to get up, he clutched his ribs again to find them too sore to allow him to maneuver like that again. Having lost the time and momentum as he had stopped on the ground, the dozen other guards, including an entirely platinum coated one began to aim their weapons at him. In a desperate attempt to survive, he activated and threw all three grenades at them, none of which stuck to the small horde of Covies trying to kill him. The collective blasts did allow for a very large dust cloud to form and obscure the reptiles' visions. The man ran back to the first two corpes and took whatever weapon he could find, which included a Plasma Rifle and, much to his joy, a Beam Rifle. With the cloud dissipating, he ran towards the forest before any of the crimson armored fanatics could shoot again. Running, he heard a shout coming from the previous spot he was in. "Take the engineers to the evacuation site! Two of you shall come with me and we'll hunt the bastard down!"

_Shit_! He knew he wasn't going to be lucky enough to avoid being chased by the Covies. He looked around for a tree with enough coverage to hide him while they looked. Sure, as soon as he took the first shot, he'd be caught, but having the element of surprise while it lasted could help him kill the three that searched for him. He was quick to find a small hole on the ground surrounded by large trees and hid behind it all. Looking through the Covenant sniper's scope, he found two crimson guards searching for him with their weapons out no more than twenty meters away. In a second, the two camouflaged with the environment. Cursing internally, he quickly pulled the trigger as the concentrated energy pierced one's head, rendering him visible again as he fell limp. More tensely now, he searched for the other, trying to find any blurs heading towards him in the midst of trees. He searched again and finally found the other only three meters away from swinging her Energy Sword and bringing his death. He shot the Beam rifle twice through her chest, the first shot to pierce the shields and the second to harm her. That did not stop her from roaring as she neared him with the sword high as the star. In a swift move, the man dropped the sniper and unloaded all of his Plasma Rifle's rounds into her chest. Now with blackened, molten armor, the Sangheili fell with the sword still in hand as violet blood oozed from her wounds.

Panting slightly, he held his ribs with his left arm while with his right he kept aiming at where the third might be hiding. His question was answered with something slightly bumping to his back, bringing his spine to chill as it never had before. He turned as fast as he could firing his Plasma Rifle again. The shots revealed The Arbiter from the shadows as he raised his own sword and amputated the man's right arm. He screamed as he grasped the wound, quickly feeling himself being grabbed by the nape and dragged with the abnormally large Sangheili.

His cries were interrupted by his captor's dark chuckle, "You truly thought you'd manage to escape. How pathetic. Though I suppose I should thank you for killing the first two Honor Guards. Saved me the trouble of doing it myself and having to lie to the Hierarchs."

The man wanted to do anything, _everything_, to shut the giant up and escape. But alas, not even spit could leave his mouth as he continued to let out agonized bellows. The pain nearly blinded him enough to see that they had retaken the path they had been on and had finally reached the end, were the trees diminished to another white structure. Through his uncomfortable place, he saw a metallic white circle that had at least two hundred meters worth a radius. In its center was an abnormally large Scarab, a deathly myth passed amongst the troops of the SA, though those with more experience knew that it wasn't likely that it existed. Whereas the average Scarab was around fifty meters long in all respects, this one seemed to be inclined on around eighty. Massive in all respects, an appropriate finishing touch was just how much more developed the 'mouth' was. He did not want to see what it was capable of.

"Do you like it? It's an individual model made for me, one that shall crush the Spartans attempting to aid you. Attempt to escape again and you'll see a firsthand demonstration of its power."

He would have cursed him, he would have tried to do anything to wipe the smugness from the giant's attitude, but he had neither the strength nor the energy to do so. As they went through the pearly white platform, covers seemed to raise to the two organics walking through it. He was about to lose all hope when he heard a powerful sniper round crash into the Sangheili's back. Dropping him and taking cover, he looked behind to see a small platoon of Spartans aiming their weapons at him. Hell, for the ODST he was, he had never been happier to see a Spartan of all things. Seeing his chance, he began to run towards them, closing the thirty meter distance between them. What stopped him though was one of the behemoth's hand gesture aiming towards the side, telling him to take cover. Rolling behind the first two meter high barricade he could find, he near lost his hearing from the blast the Super Scarab released. It went on for at least thirty seconds before it stopped and he could group up with the team of Spartans and their Sangheili leader. He truly was thankful for whatever the hell the field was. Having so many covers, it could have well been deemed a maze.

Looking in a daze at the group also behind covers, he barely managed to hear from the white armored elite, "Warrior! I am Rtas 'Vadum, Commander of the Separatist Alliance's Special Forces. Behind me are the Spartan II's that have been assign under my command. What is your name and rank?"

He tried to remember. He knew he was ODST, and he knew that he was at least a Sergeant. His trail of thoughts was interrupted by the pain in his ribs. In a second it all flashed back to him.

"Staff Sergeant David Winchester, sir!"

The group looked at him in what David assumed was surprise. _Can't blame them_, he thought,_ taking a hit from that fucking gorilla's hammer probably should have killed me_. Every bit of hope and energy he had had up until now was squandered by the memory of watching his wife's death. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, being assigned to the ODST branch meant jumping feet first into hell. But nothing could take the bitterness of remembering the person he loved most being pounded to the ground like a rag doll.

"Staff Sergeant, what was your captivators' package?! What was it that made them come to this world of all places?!" The Commander asked hurriedly as another shot failed to pass through the Forerunner alloy.

"I am. I've got the knowledge this shithole's had to give, it's imprinted somewhere in the subconscious section of my brain. I can't remember much right now, all that I can is that it leads to some Forerunner-built world. Probably valuable in a way, but I can't say for sure." David said far more lifelessly, yet still loud enough to allow the others to heal.

The Commander was about to respond only to be interrupted by another blast of the aberrant Scarab. "Damn it! We have no time for this!"

"What do you suggest? I doubt any of our weapons could come up against that titanic motherfucker." The ODST halfheartedly replied. None in the group paid mind to the man's foul language, especially when said man was missing an arm with a fresh wound to show for it. Instead, the Commander gave the equivalent of a smile and said, "It was time we played our trump card, anyways."

He placed his hand to the side of his helmet, "All ships, engage in combat with the enemy and bring several Phantoms and Banshees in my position! We've been caught and they know not of your presence, use that to your advantage to buy us time to escape!"

Rather than have a response through the comms, his order was answered with the decloaking of fifteen large ships plaguing the skies and shooting down reinforcements and evac vehicles as well as battling the Covie fleet. The fray took a turn for the worst as Phantoms came down to shoot the giant vehicle, only for most to be destroyed. A swarm of Banshees all aimed their explosive fuel rod rounds towards a single leg, rendering it useless and leaving the Scarab crippled. By now, David had none of his hearing left, leaving him to scramble on the floor as he tried to regain balance with one hand against the tremors the ongoing battle was giving. He looked to find most of the others already running to some side exit of the circle, waving at him to follow. He hadn't run five feet before a Phantom crashed in front of him. Being knocked to his back again, he looked through the fire to find that the once pristine field was being continuously filled with the corpses of violet vehicles from both bands, leaving him disoriented as to which to trust. Through the distortion in the air that the fire created, he found the group still waving at him to follow the suicidal path. Getting up again, he looked back to the Scarab to find it still operating its massive cannon to burn anything and everything in the skies that belonged to the SA. Shocked and not sure what to do or where to go, he turned to the right where he had entered the war ground from to see the most pleasant sight he had seen in a while. Human marines in black waived at him much closer than the others, allowing him a safer passage off the planet than the elite squad could.

Sprinting with all his might towards them, two caught him in their arms and helped him through and off the burnt-white field. They were talking, but he was too disoriented to listen or care. All he did was look ahead at who looked to be the leader of the marines in front of a pitch black pelican. _Not the usual coloring, huh_, David thought,_ maybe they belong to ONI_. The group stopped in front of the man waiting for them who looked to be on the line with his commander through his helmet's radio. He then looked at the broken ODST. "Staff Sergeant David Winchester?"

"Yeah?"

"Son, I know you've been through hell and back thrice, but I need you to tell me what you know that this place imprinted on you. This way we can all leave this crumbling hellhole."

"What?! Sorry, _sir_, but I think we can start playing twenty questions when we're not being surrounded by the fucking enemy!"

"Damn it, soldier, that's why I need you to tell me the coordinates this planet gave you! Knowing we could be shot out of the sky like a duck in hunting season, we can't afford to lose this data that the Covies already have! God knows just how rough we have it now, let alone how much worse it'll be if they get to the world first!"

_Damn it, he has a point. Besides, he sure as hell doesn't sound like a spook. That orange mark on his arm is probably just the logo of a new branch._ After a few more tense minutes of gunfire, ship battles, and constant crashing of aircrafts around them, David was finally able to tell them all the numbers he remembered. He repeated them again for confirmation. The leader put his hand to his helmet again and asked through the comms, "Did you get all that sir? Good."

"Wait!" All turned back to the ODST. "I think I remember the place, no, the whole planet being filled with some kinds of war ships. The Forerunners had tried to use the armada but were too late. The whole place is filled with nothing but death machines."

David looked at the leader who still held his arm to his helmet allowing him to get a better glimpse as the emblem he wore on his arm. It was when he saw the flaming fist the moment he knew it was over.

"That's all I needed to know."

Leaving David with only a single bullet in his brain, the group left in the Pelican as it engaged its Active Camouflage unit and disappeared far away from the ongoing battle.

**Author's Notes: And so, the Insurrectionists finally make their first appearance. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've had writing it, **and all constructive reviews and criticisms are welcome. Emphasis on the welcome.****

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes: Well, I could say the usual 'HOLY FUCK I'M BACK', but you guys get the point. It took physics, chemistry, biology and math to knock me down, but I'm sure as hell not out. In this chapter I bring the next part of the installment and I focus more on the scenery and character buildings than the actual battles, but bear with me. IMPORTANT- read the notes I'll leave at the end of this chapter, I'm sure it's to all of your best interests. Without further ado, please enjoy.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Balaho's Blood**

**May 22****nd****, 2531: **Commander Rtas Vadum's operation on Refuge was deemed a failure. Despite having the aid of an entire team of SPARTANs and having been able to rescue 'The Package', David Winchester, who held the information imprinted onto his brain by the planet's central base, was murdered. The body was recovered frustratingly by the team, and had nothing to do but escape the larger Covenant armada's firepower and return to SA headquarters.

**May 24****th****, 2531: **The small brigade under the command of the Spec Ops Commander returns to the Unyielding Hierophant with the hopes of being able to recover the information from the late ODST's damaged brain. The failure is received with shock and frustration by the SA leaders, all angered to hear of the resurfacing of the Human Insurrection. Though no blame is put on the members of the ground team, the loss has had everyone's tempers worsen far more as tensions from the war increase.

**May 29****th****, 2531:** While a Special Operatives team is being composed for the search of the lost Intel they had in David Winchester's brain, the first of the missions to take back all SA homeworlds is to be put in action a week from then. The chosen homeworld is that of the Unggoy, Balaho. While other homeworlds like Dossiac and Sanghelios are far more important to both the Covenant and the SA, taking the Unggoy homeworld would result in a strategic loss for the Covenant. The logic behind this was that considering the fact that Unggoy slave work was being used in the hegemony once more, taking away a good percentage of the workers from them would delay many of their plans and operations.

**3:11 – June 5****th****, 2531 – Unyielding Hierophant**

Terrence Hood let out an audible sigh as he placed his face in his hands. Today would be the day of one of the war's first decisive battles, and he couldn't get any damned sleep. While they were about to go fight at an SA homeworld called Balaho, the Insurrectionists managed to get the location of a _Forerunner _homeworld used purely for war. Saying the first thing that would come to his mind when thinking about the subject and the Innies, he would call the lot stupid beyond words. In hindsight, however, he had no clue about the strength of their forces and the fact that they had made next to no moves since the incident with Lydus. The first they chose to make in a long while had been on getting Intel and, effectively enough, the location of a Forerunner fortress world. This meant that they would likely call a large part of their army and send them to the planet and eliminate any Covenant forces residing there. The result of this would be that they would claim the planet and get an entire armada of Forerunner weapons to aid them. That could very well change the tide of the whole war, not only because of the fact that they would access the technology with ease being Humans, but also because of the fact that if they found one planet, they would find plenty more with their new strength.

In his office he sat, trying to rid himself of his constant paranoia through another glass of rum like he had the better part of the week. Countless years of drinking the liquid had trained his liver and his throat to ignore the slight sensation of burning it gave. It was only in the past few years that he truly learned to appreciate the drink. He looked around him to see the purple metalloid the Separatists near-damned worshiped so much. Where Fleet Admiral Ward would stay on Earth to protect his species as its leader, Hood was elected to stay with the Separatists and help out in any way he could through strategies and bridge-building with all the different species. Having been Humanity's ambassador when first confronted by the Separatists earned him that much. Still, he missed the sterile grey titanium that most UNSC ships were composed of. His own monitor immediately lit up with a black screen, no title or program having been opened before. It began to write words, and encrypted message sent by someone he presumed. Most likely Parangosky, if he had a say on the subject.

_[Admiral Hood. I send this to you immediately so you may read something of uber importance to you. The coordinates to the Forerunner war planet designated 'Armageddon' are going to be sent to you after this message is deleted. Your Forerunner AI can read it for itself and confirm it to you if you're not convinced. I send this to you because it is imperative that you reach the planet and keep it from any Covenant or Insurrectionist forces. I would send whatever I could myself, but I have neither the strength nor the time to do this. It is up to you and your Separatist allies to destroy any unwanted visitors there and ensure that you'll live for another day to fight. The only thing I ask of you is that you speak nothing of this. If you do, I'll avoid assisting you in any matters at all, no matter how much you may need it. And do believe me when I say that if you do tell your allies or anyone else, I'll know. I wish you luck.]_

Hood suspiciously deleted the message that managed to get past the heavily encrypted firewalls that the _Unyielding Hierophant_ held. True to its word, a set of coordinates now plagued his screen where the message once was. He remained sitting, looking at the monitor in a slight amount of shock, not knowing what to do or how to feel about the message he'd read five minutes prior. He sighed and took another shot at the glass on the table. He saved the series of numbers and left the room. If those truly were the coordinates, he'd have a hell of a day explaining to them all where he got them from. It was time for him to rest, anyways.

**6:57 – June 5****th****, 2531 – High Charity**

Ripa 'Moramee was stomping through the halls of the Covenant capital, seeking the Hierarchs with the intent of informing them of his suspicions of Maccabeus's treason. He found himself just outside the High Council's chambers and stormed through the flurry of Honor Guards, Sangheili and _Jiralhanae_ alike, and entered. He had already imagined the ways he could convince the Prophets to let him kill the Chieftain General in front of all for his heresy. What he had not expected was to find the same man talking to the three most powerful beings in the entire hegemony. No longer putting weight on his every step, he got closer and barely managed to seethe, "Hierarchs, what is the bas-… _General_ doing here?"

"Arbiter, you've arrived. The Chieftain General here has asked for an audience with us as well as you. We figured perhaps we could put the both of you here and waste no more time than we need to. Now tell us what it was that you needed." Truth responded from his ever-levitating throne. The Arbiter looked between the three and Maccabeus, not having idealized the scenario. "Hierarchs, I assume you've read my reports on the mission on the holy planet Refuge?"

"We have."

"Then I'm certain you've read the part where the central monitor was destroyed by camouflaged explosives available only to those of _highest_ authorities in the Covenant." The reptile growled as he gave an accusatory glare at the golden armored ape, despite the fact that the latter remained unfazed.

"That's because I planted them."

This threw off the Arbiter completely. "That… _is an act of heresy_!"

"Now, now, Arbiter, that is no word that should be tossed around so carelessly." Truth chided.

"Pardon?! Hierarchs, you've just heard him confess of the act of treachery that was defiling-"

"We are more than well aware of the actions taken by Chieftain General Maccabeus as well as the motives behind them. While at first the news filled us with shock to know of the events that occurred, it was a necessary duty that was needed to be performed. Had Maccabeus not destroyed the console, it would have most definitely unlocked its wealth of knowledge to the Demons and their Heretic allies."

The usually craned neck of the Arbiter reeled back in shock as he stared with wide eyes at the four. "_So you'll do nothing to him_?!"

"And what reason have I given to be punished? For your rank, Arbiter, I thought you of all would know that winning wars comes at a cost. The San'Shyuum Engineers gained the best of what the planet had to give. We've received the coordinates of a Forerunner world filled with nothing but armaments that we could use to hold the upper hand in the war and crush our foes. How well do you think it would fare for us if it was not us, but theDemons that gained these weapons? As a matter of fact, I remember reading in the same report you sent to the Hierarchs that the Human I sent you to unlock the relic managed to escape. Am I wrong?"

"No, but if you had read the report _entirely_, you would've also read that the Human was discovered dead by scouts of my own as we left."

"I have. Somehow, you still manage to think that the fact that you failed to apprehend the Human yourself and the fact that he still died out of pure luck and chance cancels the possibility of him passing his knowledge to the team he was rescued by."

The reptile was about to burst with rage at the other giant when he was interrupted by Truth, "Maccabeus makes a point. Your pride and arrogance has endangered our mission and the chances of retrieving the forces on Armageddon without interventions has possibly lessened significantly. This is not a mistake that can be taken lightly when our enemies are as savage and ruthless as they are. However, you are in luck, for your chance to redeem yourself for your error has come with great timing. A fleet is being assembled to go to the fortress world and obtain its treasures in power, and you are to be at the head of it. Go now, and remember the Covenant why you are Arbiter."

The Arbiter had lowered his head the whole time throughout the Prophet's speech, and as soon as he was given the command, he bowed his head. "At once, Hierarchs."

He turned and left, both disappointed and proud at how he'd failed to knock Maccabeus off his high horse and at being appointed as the Fleet Master at the head of the expedition. Exiting through the tall gates he bumped into another Jiralhanae wearing crimson armor resembling that of the Chieftain Lieutenants. He gave a small growl and the same intimidating glare he gave to the General, this time taking far more effect on the young officer. The Arbiter stormed out of the room as the Lieutenant walked up to the High Prophets and General and knelt loyally.

"Amadeus, I am glad you've made it here." Truth opened once more.

"Anything for you, Hierarchs, as well as you, Chieftain General." The young Lieutenant answered. He looked up from his position at the General who stood beside them and the latter gave him a nod. He stood up and viewed at the lot, gaining composure and formally reporting, "Hierarchs, the derelict ship we found was devoid of nearly everything it may have once held, save for a few objects of interest. The most important one, at least in my opinion, I've sent to you through secured messages."

"And those we have read. Not quite what we were expecting, and truthfully, I see not the use it may have. Nonetheless, can you look at us all in the eyes and tell us that this may truly give us an edge in this disastrous war?" Regret inquired.

"I, _well_, I'm not sure. I truly do apologize for my lack of certainty on a subject of such significance. Believe me! I do! But while I can't assure you of much, it is quite possibly an amazing asset we can manage in this war. And while General Maccabeus's methods may be far more definite than my own in handling said asset, I implore you to please-"

"Amadeus, you must remember that in this war there can be no room for faults! Our damned opponents have proven to us that they will go through any means to emerge victorious from this conflict and have their way with the legacies left behind by our Gods! You cannot hope to achieve anything if you are willing to hold back!" Regret berated as his voice left echoes in the Chamber. Amadeus looked in shock at the Hierarch and immediately looked down apologetically. "I- of course Hierarchs. Forgive my shortsightedness."

"Don't, young warrior. Your heart is pure, not something that can be said of anyone of such high ranks, no matter the race. That is something of value, but in these times it will only serve to cloud your judgment. If you truly want to see the wellbeing of your race and live long enough to find a sacred Halo and ascend to godhood along with your brethren, then you must be willing to do whatever it takes to win this war." Truth comforted the worried man.

"Of course, Hierarchs. I shall be in Dossiac analyzing the object of interest and will use the appliances that Maccabeus shall send to aid my studies. I bid you farewell." With that, Amadeus left the hall, leaving only the original four that occupied the rather empty place.

"Hierarchs, I would like to request a submission apparatus." Maccabeus finally said after the prolonged silence. The three were not foolish and immediately knew at what the veteran was getting at. "Maccabeus, I know that we of all people are to be precautious in all measures of these times, but is it truly necessary to resort to that? He was your student, after all."

"I know, Truth. As much as it kills me, none of us can afford to have Amadeus's morality prevent him from achieving the means to facilitate our victory. The boy is as much a scientist as a warrior, for he is formidable in both respects. He cannot start lacking in conviction due to judging whether something is right or wrong now more than ever. The best we can do is assure that he be successful in his studies and comes to us with a rewarding prize for us to reap." Maccabeus countered.

"Still, he is barely just fifty-one. For your kind, such an age is not meant to be deprived of whatever innocence that may be left. Even amongst a race of warriors that is the Jiralhanae's, such a faithful, loyal individual does not deserve to be stripped of the most basic of rights." Truth responded, defending the young Lieutenant.

"And yet, he is in an era where our kind closer to divinity than we have been in our entire race's lifetime. He may be gentle of heart, but that is a trait that must be sacrificed for us to follow our Gods' footsteps." Maccabeus put with a tone of finality to it. Mercy nodded at what he said and Regret reluctantly agreed. Truth sighed as he said, "Very well, I shall send one of the prototypes to you besides the one you already have. Has the first not proven to work well enough?"

"The first is no longer in my possession. It is already being put in a better use." The giant responded. The three nodded and Maccabeus finally took his own leave.

**8:21 – June 5****th****, 2531 – The Bloody Dagger**

Taurus looked on at the homeworld he was about to invade. This would be his second time boarding Balaho, the first to suppress the Unggoy and now, ironically enough, to liberate it. A fleet of five hundred ships, ranging from UNSC Frigates to Separatist Supercarriers, were being commanded by his flagship. The reasoning behind taking the fleet of massive quantity and strength was to bring a staggering hit to Balaho's defense fleets and wipe them out before causing any damage to their own armada. Inside his own vessel's bridge, he watched how the hologram of the planet marked the key locations that would lead to its defense's downfall and his forces' victory.

To his left were Bracktanus and Ceretus, both accompanying him as his chosen Lieutenants for the upcoming battle. The former, of course, would be going down head first to the battlefield to lead a couple of elite platoons while the second would stay to command his ship in his stead. Unfortunately, his beloved Samallix could not be here as she was needed elsewhere to hold strong against invading Covenant forces. On the upside, she had given him a hell of a goodbye. A memorable one, at that. He then smiled a shit-eating grin at the short-tempered of the two. "So, Bracktanus, I've noticed how often your absence has come to be as of recently. Particularly with some of the younger males of our kind and how some rumors say that you've shown them a unique set of skills you use nowhere but your own quarters."

"What the fuck are you gettin' at, Taurus? You lookin' for a tussle or a grenade down your throat?" The smaller Jiralhanae growled. Being one head shorter than the average male of his kind, Taurus, in his youth, figured it was up to him to create new comedy material for his friends. He had taken the opportunity to spread the rumor of how Gargantus made a bet with the Gods that he won with the prize of robbing Bracktanus of his size. Despite being smaller, Taurus had had his ass handed to him that day by the very midget he made fun of.

"Nothing in particular. I just keep hearing rumors of how you boast excellence in the arts of a cocksmith." One punch to his right arm rendered the limb useless for anything in particular for the next couple of minutes. Where Bracktanus lacked in both patience and height, he had most certainly made up in a vicious amount of strength. Even with his arm complaining from pain, however, he found himself laughing wholeheartedly at the Lieutenant's reaction. Even the usually serious Ceretus was cracking up at the scene.

"The only cocksmithin' there is in this ship is how you 'tend' to all of your damn subordinates' needs in the most bizarre way that you can, you shitfaced cunt!" The response only worsened the situation for him as the two laughed harder than before.

"Was it that obvious? Well, at least when I do 'tend' to my comrades, I leave no one out. So you can bet that you'll be seeing a lot of me once the operation is finished." Bracktanus groaned and punched Taurus again, save this time it was several times more. Taurus resorted to a defensive position as his short friend rained a storm of swings against him. The other two could only laugh and laugh as Bracktanus continued his barrage. Finally, it ended, and Taurus lowered his arms, now both senseless from the beating. Bracktanus was quick to hurry out of the room before he could get any more annoyed by his friend's jabs. Just as he was about to leave, however, Taurus bellowed, "BRACKTANUS! DON'T GO! I LOVE YOU!"

Behind the now closed gate, the two heard a single punch against the metal door powerful enough to dent it. Both Taurus and Ceretus guffawed as they clutched their sides, no longer being able to keep themselves on their feet. Both on their knees, Ceretus was the first to get up and lend a hand to Taurus, who promptly took it. Now looking back through the bridge's hologram, Taurus felt his grin leave him. "And now it begins."

"Aye, Taurus. It does. Doing shite like this only brings memories from further back when we were but horny little cunts with a bloodlust that only great fights could satisfy. Nay, back then, we'd no idea what true battles were."

"True enough. It's a damn shame it's had to come to this. None of us could have predicted and much less prepared for a war of this magnitude. Not even our own civil wars that date millennia back hold records of so much being at stake."

"Nay, they don't. Sometimes, all I wish is for everything to return to the way things once were. I'd give damn near everything just to feel like I used to but a mere ten years past."

"Yeah, I know what that's like. Hells, if I were to number of times I've spoken of this matter with Samallix… Anyways, we're best off not mourning for how things were and how they may have played out differently had the circumstances not been the same."

"I know, yet still, I _truly_ do believe that-" Ceretus was cut off as one of the ensigns shouted, "Approaching Balaho, Chieftains!"

Both looked on as the hologram disappeared and was replaced by the real version out through the windows. All ships winked green as they entered the planet's range. On the other side of the portal, a fleet of at least three hundred and fifty ships waited. Within the second's notice, they began to fire. The _Bloody Dagger_ shook intensely as concentrated blasts of plasma crashed straight into its shields. The whole armada was already taking damage from the home fleet's premature strike. Taurus took several seconds to examine the scenario and the best course of action to take and soon bellowed, "ALL SHIPS, FIRE AT THE BOTTOMMOST SECTOR OF THE COVENANT ARMADA! THEY WERE READY FOR US, AND WE NEED TO PUNCH A HOLE IN THEIR DEFENSES TO ALLOW OUR SHIPS THROUGH TO BOARD THE PLANET AND DISABLE ANY MEANS OF DEFENSES THEY MAY HAVE THAT COULD TURN THE TIDE OF THE BATTLE IN OUR FAVOR! ALL SHIPS THAT WILL DROP OFF WARRIORS SHALL FOLLOW MINE THROUGH THE PUNCTURE IN THEIR RESISTANCE!"

With that, his fleet began to mobilize as the Captain's own vessel maneuvered out of the intense heat of the battle towards a part of the Covie fleet that was left less well armed. The ships that were there were soon vaporized by the combined power of the Separatist fleet's plasma weaponry coupled with the UNSC's extraordinarily powerful MAC rounds plus Archer Missiles. The _Bloody Dagger_, along with all the ships behind it began to head straight for the planet, certain shots making their way to some of them, all with the intent of destroying the flagship. Still, Taurus's ship pulled through, and only a few of his followers truly took the brunt of the burning rain. Now that they were closer than ever, the vessel headed through to the city nearest to the well protected capital, full intents on killing whoever commanded all the troops from the methane-filled sphere.

Taurus ran out of the bridge with a few hasty parting words to his life-long friend, and made his way to the nearest elevator. He was going down along with the contraption as the light flickered slightly and the surface vibrated. He cursed internally, knowing that planet-side defense turrets were harming his ship's shields. Still, he showed resolution as the elevator arrived in quick time and he rushed for the ship's armory, now also a 'drop-off' point. Arriving, he found large, violet pillars in which thirty troops of all species mounted them apiece. Everyone in the area wearing any and all types of EVA equipment on their armor, now including Taurus, holes in the belly of the ship opened for the new Collective Orbital Insertion Pods. Since the non-human SA members got wind of the idea of the ODSTs getting planet-side directly from metallic husks at a rapid rate, they sought to make a version of their own. With the aid of several Human engineers, the collaborative project turned out to be a success, creating the COIPs and their individual variants, the Separatist Alliance Entry Vehicles, or SAEVs for short.

As Taurus ran through the cluster of soldiers of all shapes and sizes looking for the next ride to hitch on, he found his own JEV. Opening, he found inside an FRG and twin Spiker Rifles waiting to be used. Getting inside, he looked out through his window as the troops began to line up and get inside the individual SAEVs on his wall and disappear inside. With the next set of three hundred or so troopers inside and ready for exoatmospheric insertion, the metallic tomb became slightly light weighted before it was pressured out. With a boost from its place in the ship's armory, the Captain's drop pod cannoned out of the vessel and into the atmosphere. From his window, he looked upwards where could see the belly of his ship, releasing hundreds of the COIPs and SAEVs along with thousands of dropships. In the same altitude as him were several other pods, drizzling down on the planet like an infernal rain. Soon though, clouds quickly mustered, continuing on for several minutes until his pod finally made it through and onto the planet's view itself. The skies blocked with an almost ever-blocking blanket for clouds, he could only see the faint silhouette of the _Bloody Dagger_ along with other of its kind up above.

Now getting a good view of the snowy and icy plains, he could see himself get closer to the ground, only a few more minutes before his ride came to an abrupt crash. On instinct, he kicked the door and took his FRG first to shoot at any enemies in sight. The dozen of Unggoy with their Sangheili Commander stood not a chance as he emptied his entire clip at them. Reloading and placing the Spiker Rifles at his hips, he holstered his weapon to look around him. He was at a city of the sorts, _Kuruk_, if he remembered correctly. The skyscrapers were quite tall, easily reaching at least the hundred-meter mark each. Though where the ginger, metallic walls of the buildings were not present, dozens meter-wide roads took their place. On the sides of the evacuated streets, the large, civilian caravans common to the Unggoy lay motionless. Ironically as large as a regular Jiralhanae's own vehicle, it was traditional for many things in the usually large Unggoy family to be shared. Many would ride in them at a time with their parents and several siblings.

He shook himself from his stupor as he looked on the road ahead, it being pale as a thin layer of ice covered it. He'd landed on the outskirts of the city and could see its end. On the far end, perhaps a kilometer away he could see the world's capital. Nazananka stood tall and proud, a majestic sight at the very least, and evidence that the Unggoy were extraordinarily capable despite how other races considered them. Where Kuruk served as the world's unofficial capital in terms of economy with the average structure being a hundred and seventy meters tall, Nazananka kept with far more crowded average hundred meter-tall buildings. It was constructed on and around a small slope, giving way for the creation of the High Porot Castle.

Before being inducted to the Covenant, they worshiped the entity of 'Porot', not something Taurus looked far too into. What he knew was just the average knowledge: a genderless entity that granted the life of all while powered with all of the universe's knowledge. For the time and age it was made, it was meant to be the Unggoys' military, political and religious center. Despite their enslavement, the name remained as a cultural mark in the species. Where most buildings in the planet were painted an auburn orange, almost making the pale white world seem alive, the Castle was a pale shade of cobalt. Taking the form of a fortress, it was five hundred meters long and wide, growing taller as it reached the center. Starting with the average hundred meters at its edge, it reached four hundred meter's height at the central tower, it having a seventy-five meter radius and a large garden at its top. Coupled with the small slope, it reached a towering height of six hundred meters at most above all. By all means, it was a galactic marvel, something that even the San'Shyuum viewed in awe. He remembered how it had also been an example of Faith's arguments defending the specie's rights.

Despite enjoying the view, Taurus sighed as he could see the large, hexagonal dome that protected it from invading armies. Three batteries around it generated the shield, leaving it isolated from the incoming battle. What was even more disadvantageous was the fact that the city and its generators were located on top of a frozen island. The deep blue lake around it lay frozen, but no vehicles too large could walk across it without sinking. All that was left were the thick, central roads constructed by the Unggoy, all of which were manned at their ends. Thankfully, the roads deviated a bit to also connect to the generators, making them prone targets.

Finally having enough of his surroundings, he turned around to see all the troops rounded up. About seventy were readying their weapons, most looking dizzy some had temporarily taken off their helmets to vomit the bile that the drop had caused their stomachs to steer. The only ones not looking affected were the ODSTs, practically his favorite branch of soldiers not of his own kind. Ironically enough, where all troops were now placing their helmets on again for their own safety, the Unggoy troops took theirs off, being the only ones unmasked in their own terrain.

Not quite as different as a Human's or a Jiralhanae's face, the Unggoy boasted of two eyes at the front of their expressions neither too large nor too small varying in shades of yellow, orange and green. Somewhat long, horizontal mouths filled with a pair of serrated rows of teeth behind their average lips. Their noses were generally a small tunnel downwards that could thicken or not depending on the person. Eyebrows normally very thick and bushy made them very expressive whenever you could look at them truly. Their heads' shapes were a bit more rounded than the Humans' own but generally following the same form. The one thing that really separated them from others were their natural manes that started from the top of their heads to all the way around their necks. Being this furry was natural to them given the fact that they were born in such an unnaturally cold weather. The Unggoy, Jiralhanae and Humans had grown a sense of familiarity around each other, given the fact that their ancestors were different types of primates. Diverse, yet nonetheless primates.

Quick to his resolve, he was about to start issuing orders when he saw a Kig-Yar irritate one of the Unggoy nearest to him. Push quite literally turned to shove, and as Taurus heatedly made his way over to cease the about to occur fight, a Mgalekgolo thankfully separated the two. Making a mental note to thank it later, he was quick to grab the Kig-Yar by the nape and drag her away. As soon as he brought her behind a stone, she nervously quivered, "I didn't do anything, I swear! That little bastard's-"

"_I don't care_. _Right now I truly don't give even half a shit about who started it, even though I damn well know you're lying_. _Right now, we're on that warrior's homeworld and we are about to reclaim it from the Covenant, so listen very damn carefully_. _I will not have so much as one of either of your kinds pick a fight with the other at a time like this while taking part in a battle where we are all dying for one another. Do you understand_?"

"Ye-yes sir!" the avian near squawked.

"_Good, now get out there and fight beside your comrades no matter the species like you're supposed to_." She sprinted at the speed her species usually managed. Just as he turned around, he heard a Sangheili near him. "Chieftain Captain, Sir, I've heard of the bout that nearly went with two of my troops. I apologize, I shall discipline the two and-"

"No need, Officer. One's stressed more than anyone else for taking a part in this mission and the other I've already chastised enough. However, I shall be amongst the force heading for the Alpha Generator, and I'll likely have my comms intercepted. You and at least four dozen others shall stay here and guard that no reinforcements shall come to bite us in the ass. Since you'll be remaining here, I have one task to make for you."

"Of course, Sir, what shall it be?" The Sangheili asked.

"This confrontation between an Unggoy and a Kig-Yar is bound not to be the first nor the last. My request is for you to radio any and all officers not pertaining to their kinds and have them bash the two participants' heads together and remind them that both are warriors fighting on the same side."

"It will be done, Sir. With your leave, I shall go to my warriors."

"Go, now. We've no time to waste." Taurus began walking towards his original position, already more than half of the original force stationed at well placed guarding spots. Finding his force to consist almost primarily of Unggoy, all looking to be far better trained than the average soldier, all stopped when they heard a boom. Then again, and again and again until they realized those were stomps. From behind a building not so far from them, a Scarab tramped into view. All paled and readied their weapons, plans already being formulated inside the Captain's head to destroy the super unit. Finally it turned, its green maw lighting the lot of them all as Taurus ran for cover, shooting his green, explosive rounds at the metallic beast. Rolling for shelter, he realized that his shots had done nothing to diminish its might and yet it had done nothing to pulverize them all. Instead it stepped closer towards them as its speakers blared.

"_Oi, Taurus_! _Scared so shitless and somehow you call yourself a Captain_!" resounded through the giant beast. At hearing the voice, Taurus smiled and stepped out of cover, now seeing the SA symbol on the super vehicle's side. He then shouted, "You know something, you're right! No matter what the case, that second ass you call a face of yours always leaves me frightened!"

"_Fuck you, Taurus_! _Quit stainin' the road with shit and get on already_! _It's off to the generator we go_!" Bracktanus countered as the Scarab lowered its body and opened its side doors. Taurus made for a sprint along with all those who would be following him to the capital's incursion. As soon as all were aboard, the titanic war machine stood back up and began walking through the road. Getting up to the large surface of Bracktanus's personal Scarab, he slapped a fresh magazine of green rounds on his FRG. The Banshees heading towards their position were bound to make the journey more complex than it needed be.

"Thirteen bogies heading this way, Sir!" A Kig-Yar sniper's voice made its way through the comms. Taurus was quick to respond, "Bracktanus, don't stop! We shall take care of it!"

After hearing a grunt from his helmet's radio as a response, he looked towards those on the top of the super unit and shouted, "All those with something powerful as much as a Sniper Rifle, focus on the five on the left! Those with heavier ordinance shall focus on the eight coming from the right!"

The troops had next to no time to respond as the first neared the gigantic vehicle, not endangering it in any way after being turned into a smoldering pile of metal. Taurus kept his weapon raised as he and all those with explosive type weaponry let out a barrage of rockets and plasma missiles, too many for the Banshees to dodge them all. Six fell, now leaving one to turn back with a damaged wing and the other to boost forwards to their position. Beginning to shower the convoy with blue to cobalt shots on the troops, it took down three of the soldiers and a heavy green round sent Taurus almost off the Scarab. Rolling to the right and hanging on to the edge of the Scarab's side, he looked as the aircraft's beak glowed in a show of powering its weapon. Plasma shots sunk in and the Banshee was rendered destroyed as the Scarab's 'head' made short work of the enemy airliner. "_Hey_! _None of you are harmin' Taurus in this Gods damned mission_!_ If anyone's killin' that dumb bastard, then it's goin' to be ME_!"

"Love you too, you angry little shit!" Taurus cackled as a pair of Jiralhanae troops lent him a hand in his hanging state, getting him back up on the metallic transport. He looked on at the sight, ever coming closer to the city. The frozen lake now sported holes wherever the flying Covies had crash-landed on. Nazananka looked majestic from the hundred-meter's distance view Taurus had from the ever walking Scarab. It was now that the road turned to a three-way, the front continuing into the city while the left headed towards the designated Alpha Shield Generator. The titan of mauve rotated its course as it set out for the giant cylindrical reactor. Having a thirty meter radius, the Scarab's beam would not be able to penetrate it. Taurus and his soldiers, however, could very well head into the entrance and forcefully overheat it, destroying the structure.

The Scarab now entered the miniature armory-like settlement that protected their city's highest defense. As soon as it stepped over the looming, ten meter high barriers of the same purple armor, countless weaponry shot at the belly of the beast. The Plasma Turrets to its sides began to bombard the ground troops attempting to cripple the metallic beast, making quick work of many. The downside, however, was that several of the smarter Covies had run to the underside of the Scarab, allowing no one to fire at them. From his eagle's eye view, Taurus sighed, "Well, I'm afraid that's our cue warriors. Find a way down any way you can and kill the bastards below!"

Taurus then hopped onto the right rear leg, sliding down as his armor's shielding took the worst of the damage. Landing on the ground with a deep thud and entirely draining his shields, Taurus unholstered his Spiker Rifles and let them shred through any opponents that'd come and crossed paths with him. Most consisting of large packs of better trained Unggoy attempting to protect their stronghold, they stood not much of a chance as the prickles of searing heat cut through their organs, ending them without so much as a hassle. The few that'd survived were the seven Sangheili attempting to kill him in close quarters combat. All wielding their signature Energy Swords, the moves they made were precise and lethal, having no intent on taking him alive. No bullets left in his weapons, he resorted to stabbing one in the neck with the miniature blades at the end of each weapon. Blood spraying him as the first fell dead, the second made for a hack from behind as Taurus turned and hit the arm away, slitting the second's throat.

Knowing that his quick wits with two empty weapons wasn't going to win him the fight, he placed them at his hips once more as he unsheathed _Vengeance_, the pale-white blade in a perfect condition to be colored by the blood of his enemies. Stabbing one's leg and quickly beheading him within seconds, he quickly made sure to stab the others through their hearts, ravaging the lot with his giant dagger. As soon as the fight was over, several more SA troops hopped down to aid him, finding only the group of corpses surrounding him. Tilting his head towards the path ahead, the group of fifteen followed him under the Scarab as the Captain signaled the Lieutenant to continue his path.

It had been perhaps half a minute until they came face to face with the structure's entrance. Thankfully for the ground soldiers, most of the generator's defenders poured out of the frontal gate, being disintegrated by the Scarab's powerful ray. Finding the lot dead, Taurus charged inside the local auburn-colored structure. Inside, he went through a series of labyrinth-like paths before reaching its center. At the middle of the structure lay a Gravity Well that headed for the upmost level, the rest of the floors between the bottom and the top being machinery that powered the capital's protection. Looking back at all the soldiers that had caught up to him, he signaled them to throw their grenades in. Nodding, sixteen grenades made their way up to the other end of the one-way elevator. Waiting a few seconds, Taurus hopped on as he was levitated all the way to the place's final level. When he arrived, he found a multitude of burnt corpses, while others looked in shock at the sight. He was quick to cut through them all as the rest of his soldiers pummeled what was left of their defenses. Sheathing Vengeance and reloading his still empty Spikers, he walked forwards towards the window, finding the height of the building the same as the Scarab's AA Turret.

He punched it, breaking the glass from the inside as he found a Yanme'e fiddling with the consoles in the large room. Three of his kind joined him, Taurus only guessing what they were doing. Before he could look for a weak spot for him to take advantage of, the place immediately shut down as the insectoids vibrated in triumph. Looking at them, he smiled and said, "Nice work."

Looking onwards, he gestured for Bracktanus to bring his vehicle closer. As the maw scraped the offline generator, Taurus hurdled and landed on top of the super unit. His shields did not take too much damage as he looked up from his position, feeling several more thumps as more soldiers dropped nearby. The Unggoy that had been a part of his team were carried by the Yanme'e soldiers that had cut the structure's power. He looked at Nazananka, now clear of the shield entirely, he pressed his ear to the right side of his helmet and questioned, "Ceretus! Mind being a good friend and telling me how the other structures were knocked out?"

"_You ought to know, Taurus_. _It was your but ships and your warriors that you assigned to take on the city's defenses_."

"Yeah, well, you know damn well that those that I'd assigned had their ships heavily damaged and were forced to return to our invading fleet!"

"_Well, if you must know, ONI slid some Spartans from the apparent 'Red Team' into your very own ship right under our noses_. _Pretty damn shifty and unexpected, if you ask me_."

"Well I'll be damned. How's the battle going?"

"_Not bad, yet good neither_. _The_ Bloody Dagger_ has been spared from the worst of the battle, but the rest are taking a thrashing_. _You must head for the Porot Castle and disable the planet-side weaponry from the HQ_."

"You're damn right I will, good luck out there."

"_Same for you Taurus_. _I truly do wish you the best of luck in your rocky path to both our kind's and your own liberatio_n."

"Now, now, Ceretus, since when did we become lovers?" Taurus chided as he attempted to lighten up the mood. He earned a chuckle from the other end. "_If only you had the luck, Taurus_. _Good hunting_."

"Likewise." Taurus finished as he took off his fingers from his earpiece. Looking at the city right next to him, he looked at the force behind him and groaned slightly. "Bracktanus, there's no way in hell your personal mount is making it through the streets of Nazananka, and the buildings will not be able to take its weight if you try to climb them. Take these troops and head back to the rest of the firefights where your strength is needed."

This had ignited an angry response from the Lieutenant, said Chieftain sticking his crimson head out of a hole right in front of the AA Turret as he scolded, "Hell no you ain' goin' out there on your own! Maccabeus nearly fucked you last time, and the city's filled to the brim with assholes waiting to shoot you! I'm comin' whether you-"

"No, Bracktanus, you are not. That is an order from your superior. All that I'll need is a good Active Camouflage unit and I'll sneak in and kill any high leaders inside of the castle. This is the best way to do it, I'm more than capable of completing the operation, and I'll be quick about it, too." His friend sighed as he looked at him, crimson helmet and black visor facing him. "Fine, Taurus, you win this round. But mark my words, that if it's my rage that's goin' to kill me, then it's your solitariness that's goin' to cripple you. Come on, the lot of you! Give the Captain a unit so he can spend his time fuckin' the Covies from the inside!"

An ODST approached the Captain, giving him her own unit. Taurus nodded at her and took it, placing it in his armor as he jumped off the Scarab once more. The giant vehicle turning back, Taurus ran through the road that would lead him to the city, diverting half of his shielding's power to the AC's efficiency. Now with the chance of lasting as much as an hour whole, he caught up and sped past the superb tank and turned left towards the now exposed city's path. Alone and racing towards Nazananka, all that could be seen of him was the snow and ice that cracked for every foot that he set down on his course. He could see Wraiths, Banshees, Ghosts and countless more Covies poor out of the capital, full intent on still protecting the capital. Now thirty meters away, he ran on the lake as to not get in the way of the defending army in fear of being caught. The cracks were far louder, but with all the commotion, the troops hardly paid mind to him. Up from above, he could still hear the ongoing spacial warfare.

Finally reaching the outskirts of the city, he looked at the hundreds of snipers perched on the rooftops, all ready for any prey that would reach their sights. Countless vehicles made their way out of the city through the streets, all filled to the brim with battle-hungry warriors. Taurus merely kept on running, passing through any and all defenses with ease and a great amount of stealth. He finally found himself in front of the High Porot Castle, reaching as high as the skies would allow and blending in with the planet with its unique color scheme. Finding the least populated portion of the frontal wall, he pierced it with his dagger, making his way up as his left hand dented the metal enough for him to hang on and his right stabbing it with reassuring steadiness.

He made it over the wall surprisingly unnoticed as now at least six dozen Unggoy were manning it at either of his sides at least fifteen meters away from him. Having have chosen the most well armored portion had left little to man it, partially also because many had left for the battles beyond the city. SA Phantoms caught their attention, the dropships not making it too near them before being shot down. Though he pitied the soldiers, he used the distraction to slide down the wall, making a hard impact on the ground that was mistaken with a plasma mortar unleashed by the aircrafts. From there, he just kept running past any guards and stationary troops that were nearby, none having been prepared for a stealth incursion so early in the dome's downfall.

He ran as he looked through the inside of the halls, them being high and majestic as the arks reached a good thirty meters, even more so considering that it was created by a species almost half of his height. Still he ran, speeding past pristine white stairs and making his way to the center unnoticed, intents on reaching the central tower. A huge elevator was about to close its doors, an Unggoy Deacon guarded by a pair of Sangheili Honor Guards. Being the equivalent to an Unggoy Commander but in terms of religion granted him as much importance. He silenced his steps as he stepped into the large elevator with them, not being seen by the lot as he sneaked behind them. The Deacon Pipit was quick to start, "We must go to the top floor to administer our defenses with the dome's fall."

"At once, Deacon." The Sangheili chanted as they pressed the top floor. Taurus silently readied his FRG as the gravitational elevator started upwards at a rapid speed. Seconds before their arrival, one of the Honor Guards turned to face him and sniffed the air. Nearly touching him, Taurus held his breath as she looked around, not being able to identify the foreign odor in the platform. The doors opened and the Deacon ordered them to follow him, making the Sangheili grunt in displeasure and follow along, being confronted by a giant gate. The Deacon pressed his hand against it, opening the door and showing a huge room entirely with console screens and countless Unggoy manning them. With the two new arrivals on the Sangheili's parts, the room was filled with twenty Honor Guards, equal amount of Sangheili as Jiralhanae. He stepped forward and the doors shut behind him, locking as they allowed no one else to enter. What he did next was something he would never be proud of, but he knew was necessary for the homeworld and the SA's sake. He raised his Fuel Rod Gun on his right hand and a Spiker Rifle on his left, firing at everyone as his shields returned to their normal strength and his camouflage disappeared. The Honor Guards, caught by surprise, were all slaughtered at the preemptive attack. As Taurus reloaded again, he killed off the remaining guards running at him and killed all of the Unggoy high representatives and leaders.

The room was empty and stained with the gore of the fallen. Taurus sighed at the horrible deed he'd committed and walked to one of the central consoles, the one controlling the planet-side defenses that were giving his fleet an even pounding. He stopped as a familiar voice called him, his skin becoming prickly. "So, this is what it's come to be."

The room's terrace was open one level above his own, at the highest point of the castle and through it walked a Jiralhanae of crimson armor. He stood on top of a structure ten meters above the ground with a set of stairs to either side down to Taurus's level. The warrior's visor cleared, showing a remorseful face at his friend. Taurus did the same. "Well, Parabus, what can I say? I didn't mean for our paths to cross like this either."

"There's still a chance, you know. Of you returning to the Covenant. Just like old times, me and the crew under Tartarus's command while you'd be leading the second group. Taurus, I implore you, no, I beg you to come back to us. To the path of the Great Journey." The Lieutenant murmured, hoping to get his friend back. Taurus sighed, "I could offer you the same, Parabus. You and the others are the last men whom I'd ever want to come up against in a fight."

"So there's no changing your way." Parabus deadpanned in a depressed manner.

"Nor is there any dissuading you into coming with us." Taurus responded, equally dejected. The crimson warrior shook his head and Taurus chuckled bitterly, "You were always one to be loyal and stand your ground 'till the bitter end. I'm sorry, Parabus."

"So am I, Taurus. You've chosen the treacherous path of heresy." Parabus looked at the ground as he threw to the sides his Plasma Rifles and his Brute Shot, wielding only a large spear. His well renowned _Righteousness_ was crafted by great Jiralhanae weapons masters, meticulously shaping it from the Forerunner alloy at great heats down to the last detail. Taurus showed the same respect, tossing his launcher and rifles to the side, gripping _Vengeance_ as he prepared for the deadly combat about to ensue. "So be it."

The Lieutenant's visor turned back to its black of color as Taurus's turned to silver. Jumping with the might of decades' worth of training, Parabus leaped from his high nest's view all twenty meters forth to where the Captain stood. Spear in both hands as he aimed for the kill, his opponent rolled to the ground, leaving Parabus to stab the ground. Taking his chance, Taurus aimed his dagger to amputate the Lieutenant, still with the intent of taking the warrior alive when his attack was blocked as the spear was deftly removed from its spot. Hitting Taurus head on with the back end of _Righteousness_, Parabus took advantage of the distance between them to use the two whole meter's worth of his Spear to aim at the Captain. Taurus, having a hard deflecting most of the aims at his legs, began to walk backwards, still extremely intent on the battle. Reaching a jog, the two were head to head, eventually with Taurus gaining higher ground as he went for the stairs.

Finally at the top, he gave a mad hack downwards at Parabus, forcing him back down a couple of stairs. Taurus used this to his advantage as he ran to the garden at the highest point of the castle's central tower, covered in beautiful flora coated in snow. Parabus followed soon after, knowing not where the Captain had headed off to in the large orchard of a wide spectrum. He looked around and yawned at his clogged ears, seeing the battle ensuing from a viewpoint only reserved for a God or another majestic entity as he could look at even the Phantoms from above. He remembered his objective and stood in a stationary position, reducing the chances of Taurus gaining a drop on him. About ten meters away from the edge, he heard a noise but was not fast enough to block the slash coming from the air's distortion. The cut nearly depleted his shields and he used his spear to hit Taurus's heels, knocking him down and exhausting his AC Unit.

From below, Taurus looked at Parabus taking a few seconds longer than he should have to bear down Righteousness on him, his Warrior's Rage slowing time down for him. He stabbed at Parabus's right ankle, bringing him down with a cry. Pulling the dagger out, he made for a final plunge and gouged at his right heart. Parabus's visor turned transparent and his expression turned shocked, perhaps even more so than Taurus's own at his actions. Falling wounded and clasping his injury, Parabus coughed as he ripped his helmet off and allowed _Righteousness_ to leave his grasp. Hacking in agony, he grabbed Taurus by the chest and pulled him close. "Dammit, Taurus, you win. _Again_. I don't know what your plans are, or what those fucking Demons have planted in your mind, but by the love we bear for our Gods, _please_ spare Dossiac from glassing, and even more so, _spare Amadeus_. He's _too damn young_ for this shit for him to suffer like the rest of us, so _swear_ to me, _Taurus_, that you'll spare both. _Please_."

Taurus had taken off his helmet to look at his dying brethren, realization striking him that it had not been that Parabus had been slow to kill him, but was rather hesitating. Something that he was _not_. A fact that _disgusted_ him. He looked at Parabus in the eyes and murmured, "I give you my word Parabus, that neither shall be harmed. Rest in peace, for I'll see to it that your body burns and your ashes are placed in the River of Eternals."

Looking sadly at the skies, mourning his own inevitable death, he coughed, "_Thank you, Taurus_."

Taurus looked at his now dead comrade, murdered by his own hands. Almost automatically, without even thinking, he went back to the consoles like a walking corpse. Not registering anything he was doing, he subconsciously deactivated all planetary defenses, giving his fleet back the edge of the battle. More ships closed to the planet, dropping off countless troops as Balaho's reclamation turned to a victory. A hollow victory for Taurus. He returned to the peaceful garden, impeccable save for the batches of blood seeping from Parabus's wounds. The mourning Captain grabbed the dead Lieutenant as a tear slipped from his eye, taking him to the edge of the garden and placed him in a peaceful, sleeping position. Closing his eyes, Taurus looked back at the scenery before him. All defending forces were being overrun and devastated by his invading forces. With the battles still going on and the queer color of the Unggoy architecture, the planet looked to be bleeding. And bleeding it was, forever to be scarred by the battles taking place this day.

**Author's Notes: Well, that's that and now I'm beginning to portray this war for what it truly is. Now:**

**IMPORTANT MESSAGE - I am now accepting any truly well written and well thought out OC races you guys may have, depending on how well you guys describe them in every way (physical appearance, technological prowess, religions, culture, etc.). However, if you want me to really look at it, you have to post it on the reviews (tee hee) and then, only then can you send a fully detailed one to me through PMs. In other words, IF YOU DON'T POST YOUR OC RACE IN THE REVIEWS, I AIN'T READING IT IN THE PMs. Dick move? Definitely and I most certainly am proud of it because as far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win for all. Though one thing you must know is that affiliations to galactic powers are going to be decided by me, but the rest of the specie's characteristics I'm going to leave untouched, if not slightly more detailed if I can. **

**BONUS - For the appearance, it may be possible that with the help of a reeeaaally good friend, some of these may get drawn along with other artwork for the story (she's working her ass off at it and she is AWESOME), but only if your physical descriptions are top notch. I'd suggest sending me links to pics (for example- my OC race is a super huge lizard-terminator thing and I'm sending you a picture of the lizard that it's supposed to look like and another of Arnold Schwarzenegger).**

**Other Message/Propaganda I consider important - for those in my audience who are familiar with the fucking amazing show called Attack on Titan (and by familiar, I mean you've watched the whole first season and have also kept up to date with the manga), then I recommend you a story I'm now working on too (YOU MUST READ THE MANGA FIRST, THOUGH: IT'S FILLED WITH SPOILERS) that ain't doing to well and could use a couple of reviews to keep it alive. Selfish? Yes, but sue me for trying to expand my audience in that region.**

**I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it and all constructive criticisms and reviews are welcome.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes: Well, guys, I did it! I delivered this serie's next installment within my personal deadline of 3 weeks! There was a LOT of effort put into this given I tried putting something I've had absolutely no experience in doing. But, this ain't the first time I've tried something new in my story, and no one's yelled at me so far, so I think I'm doing good. Just wanted to thank everyone of you who has reviewed in light of the fact that I've gotten over 150 FUCKING REVIEWS! FUCK YEAH! That special checkpoint in my story is why I made sure to update this earlier than usual, give you guys a special treat (my many thanks). Also, I'm contemplating the whole 'mass-universe' idea. For once, I actually sat down and thought the whole idea's purpose through and through. I'm not going to lie, I had several ideas way back on March that I now look back on and find them to be really shitty. The whole OC races thing is more of something I'd consider putting 3 tops, and none of them are allowed any humanoid/humalien traits. I apologize for this, because I like to believe in consistency, and now I've downright taken a shit on it. That is why I'm putting the whole idea on hold, and I've got a lot of time to contemplate before I make the final decision. Originally, I wanted this 'super-universe' thing because I wanted to write about the 'A-list, dreamteam' that people like to imagine (Master Chief, Shepard, Marcus Fenix, etc.) and now I find it to be an extremely shallow plotline, something I'm sure as hell not doing. As for third-party elements (Staw Wars, Gears of War), I'll be contemplating for a while (I've got a lot of time for it; there's still several more chapters incoming), but I thought it'd be best for you all to know. Without further ado, enjoy.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**The Roots of Te**

**June 5****th****, 2531:** The retaking of Balaho proved successful as the Chieftain Captain Taurus's forces put a stop to all Covenant activity in the world. Though the mission was not done as deftly as it'd been planned due to an unforeseen preparation on the defending force's part, the moral victory proved to move all amongst those fighting in the planet to supersede in the planet-side battle. Of the five hundred ships sent to Balaho on the SA's part, only three hundred and twenty-seven returned in one piece, many needing immediate repairs. Another boost of confidence was given to the soldiers when they learnt of Chieftain Lieutenant Parabus's death, cheering as the one that had been giving the Alliance a hard time through several glassings was dead. This type of motivation was entirely discouraged by the higher ranking Jiralhanae assigned to the operations, Taurus, Bracktanus and Ceretus dictating that the first to insult his name would spend a week in the brig.

**June 9****th****, 2531:** The fleet returns to report its victory to those aboard the Unyielding Hierophant, finding out soon after that more fleets had already been assembled in their absence. Learning of how intelligence reports from the SA had led them to find out where the Forerunner fortress world was located, they assigned the ships in the best conditions from the recent warfare under Supreme Commander Thel Vadam's command. Many questioned how this had come to pass, considering that the last news they'd received from the whole state of affairs in the matter was that the Insurrection held the data. No answers were given, instead replaced by orders to head under the experienced Fleet Master's rule along with his second in command, Captain James Cutter of the UNSC. The SPARTANs of Red Team that snuck into Taurus's Bloody Dagger were reassigned to the Spirit of Fire.

**September 29****th****, 2531: **Reports of the Separatist Sangheili colony Tertholen suffered a massive raiding along with several other inhabited worlds and satellites in the system arrived to the Unyielding Hierophant. Being one of the more populated economic centers, the few remaining defending fleets took several losses, which led SA leaders to contemplate new forms of defenses. The stroke of bad luck of the Covenant finding several of the colonies whose ships had been sent to Armageddon, the high authorities had their already serious state of paranoia worsen. After several years of trust, UNSC HIGHCOM analyzed the situation and has agreed to share the schematics for Orbital Defense Platforms with the others of the Alliance not pertaining to the Human species. Received with undoubted gratefulness, the Separatist have begun to create the invasion countermeasures on the most important colonies in possession, including the now retaken homeworld Balaho. Talk of sharing AI creation methods with the Separatists has been a subject of much conversation amongst the higher representatives of Humanity, though most are reluctant to share the means for making one of their most valuable war assets. For the meantime, they are satisfied with their sharing of the ODP blueprints with their steady allies.

**November 31****st****, 2531:** After requesting Admiral Parangosky's permission, Colonel James Ackerson is set to begin the training of the next SPARTAN generation. Having assigned Chief Mendez, the previous instructor of the SPARTAN IIs, to prepare a next batch of now expendable Super Soldiers, he recruited child volunteers in the best conditions who lost everything in the destruction of their homes. Promising them the revenge they desired, he rounded three hundred children from the ages seven to nine as the candidates of the SPARTAN III program. Amongst his requests, Kurt-051 was selected to help his old mentor in making sure that they would not be taken lightly in battle. The other SPARTAN IIs and Doctor Halsey were forced to swear secrecy in the matter, stating that he was 'MIA' for troop morale. Being the only others who'd know of the Super Soldier's approved disappearance other than the SA's leaders, they were to never mention the actions he was taking a part of.

**March 3****rd****, 2532: **Surpassing its seventh year, the war continues, tensions only increasing with the fall of a settlement from either side. SPARTAN Blue Team, grown in size with the addition of the other smaller SPARTAN Team remaining such as Black, have been split up. In trios, the SPARTANs have been scattered in a more defensive stance around Alliance territory with the continuous Covenant pillagings going on. Until the arrival of the other seventeen SPARTANs from the grown Red Team returned, or at least until they were truly marked 'MIA', the remaining members of Blue Team are to take more protective lines of work was a decision agreed by the SA assembly.

**June 4****th****, 2532:** The departing fleet of three hundred warships dropped contact since the start of August of the previous year since the start of their journey to Armageddon, not giving the SA leadership any signs of how it went. Most were hunched to believe that the group was far too tenacious to die without so much as a couple of surviving ships that could report to them their triumph or failure. It's likely that the leaders prefer not to dwell on the crude possibilities of what could happen if the fleet was entirely wiped out. Not allowing the sense of fighting to diminish in their troops, they assembled another fleet to take on the next operation that would take out a homeworld. Still not far enough into enemy territory to grasp for worlds like Sanghelios or Dossiac, them also being too well protected for the time being, they chose to make Te their next target. Where taking Balaho was taking a good percentage of the Covenant's cannon fodder and slave work, a large population of Unggoy that the SA managed to get to join them, taking Te would mean depriving the Covenant of their heaviest units. Considering the previous operation's turnout, on this mission both Chieftain Captain Tartarus and Special Operations Commander Rtas Vadum were assigned to carry out the task. While rough spots between the two warriors were very much existent as they were sore, it was agreed that the two would put off any personal grudges for after they completed the assignment.

**17:13 – June 5****th****, 2532 – Unyielding Hierophant**

Lydus strolled past the _Unyielding Hierophant's_ halls he'd grown so used to walking through. The odorless atmosphere created by the space station's air conditioners did not block his scent from finding the warriors he'd partially raised and trained. Each one giving off their own unique smell led the centuries-old veteran to find his way around the rooms assigned to the high authorities residing in the thirty kilometer-long headquarters. Coming up to one door and simply placing his hand against the lock, the gate opened in several different sections before him, finding inside his cousin's nephew observing the empty space that resided outside his window. He knew that he was still looking at where his brother's ships had disappeared from a mere day prior. Near him, sitting on the bed was Samallix in her armor's undersuit, not quite as geared up as Lydus preferred to be. Sitting on two separate couches were Bracktanus and Ceretus not as under-geared as Samallix yet not as armored as Lydus. Both in silence contemplated the mission a year prior.

"Mourning Parabus, aren't you?" Lydus asked softly. Taurus did not even turn around, only finding the strength to nod at the fact. The old Jiralhanae sighed, as he nodded at the others of the squad he once lead. The others nodded in return, showing care for their original leader as said veteran walked next to Taurus. Though the hand on his shoulder did not take too much grief away, some condolence was felt from his father-like figure. "I killed him, Lydus. I still remember the moment perfectly. Where he hesitated, I did not, and because of that, a good man died where a monster lived."

"You are many things Taurus, but you are nothing short of unfair to yourself if you can regard yourself in such low standards. A monster you would be if you'd shown no remorse over your actions. This war has driven us all to undesired corners where we've been forced to make terrible choices for the sake of our survivals." The young Captain grunted, not really having the mind to think of a comeback. With the help of his friends, Taurus had maintained his personality and mental wellbeing intact, though the death day of Parabus struck him harder than a hammer to his ribs.

"Forgive yourself, Taurus, it is the only advice I can give. Forgive yourself for if it'd been Parabus who'd lived, he'd have found himself today in a position exact to yours. No grieving will bring him back, this I've learned with the death of countless brothers in steel, so live for the warriors in this room. Your warriors. It is the only way to cope with the weight of your actions." Finally, Taurus turned around to give his elder guide a hug, one which was promptly returned. The clanking of their lavender armors filled the room, as Lydus broke the embrace and turned to head out of the room. Walking past several more rooms, he found a private mess hall reserved for him and the other high military representatives residing in the area. Sitting on one of the chairs, the Minor Prophet of Faith contemplated in silence as she drank a caffeine-filled drink.

Lydus walked, bowing his head with much respect to her as she returned the gesture. Making his way to where several of the fist-sized balls of meat under the spines of a _hathamor_, more commonly known as a 'thorn beast', he grabbed a bowl and a fork, serving himself a large ration. He then walked back to the Minor Prophet's position and sat across, eating in silence as he gave her company. "In my near three centuries of lifetime, I've never looked back at the life I've lead and felt more like a child. A child or a fool."

"That, your Honor, is only because you've been unfamiliar to the concept of war. Mayhap you were alive to see the rise and fall of the Unggoy Rebellions, yet you haven't had the chance to experience times of strife, of uncertainty, of fear of loss and death. It's everything but your fault for you to feel lost when encountering countless situations you could not have prepared for." Lydus comforted.

"Still. Through it all I created and believed a preposterous credence that this would not be half as difficult as it's proved to be, and I've not prepared accordingly. There are countless deaths to which I'm sure I'm inadvertedly responsible for because of the course of my actions, and their souls plague my sleep and waking nightmares. Unlike the last time we've spoken of this matter, this time there is not a doubt that many graveyards have been occupied with how I've handled the choices I've been given."

"Perhaps they are inadvertedly dead because of your actions, yes, but perhaps more by the millions would be as well had you not managed this period of war with the calmness and levelheadedness that you've somehow kept. Looking at things from the coldest perspective is the wisest decision, for you let not fear nor anger nor revenge cloud your mind when the time to carry out the best course of action comes."

Faith chuckled sadly as well as a little bit tiredly, too. She shook her head lightly, looking at him again as he spoke, "I guess it'll come to be a tradition for me to have a breakdown once every few months and then have someone, namely you and others of your rank and knowledge, place me back on track. Now that we are speaking, I'd like to ask you a question that's been gnawing the back of my head for something close to a decade now."

"Of course your Honor, what would that be?"

"Why is it that the group of you, Taurus, Ceretus, Amadeus, Maccabeus and yourself seem to be so aberrant from others of your kind? When I say this, I mean in the sense that although the others of higher rankings have worked alongside other species, they still maintain some sort of prejudice at least to the Sangheili, small or not. The five of you intrigue me entirely, knowing the nature of your species. Pardon me for being crude."

"Don't be, your Honor, I am more than well aware of how the Jiralhanae's mindset works. For myself and for Maccabeus, I can only say that it's experience that's changed our perspective in more ways than one. We've lived long enough to see countless leaders amongst our kind rise and fall, in short times finding spacefaring technology wells from previous dead generations and rise to that status once more. To go from leading fleets and taking on worlds to killing tribes with rudimentary weapons. When we got to the point where we became the eldest of our kind, we knew that this form of fighting was worthless. We attempted to unite the tribes to the best of our ability, and nearing that merging of the clans, the Sangheili claimed our colonies in the name of the Covenant. Our kind's deep resent comes from this, that you well know, yet Maccabeus and I felt nothing towards them. Whatever damage they'd done to us and our worlds was not something we haven't already done to ourselves.

"Ceretus is by far amongst the smartest Jiralhanae as a critical thinker and a strategist. He likely came to the same conclusion not out of experience, but out of logic. He renounced himself to the savage ways that many of our kind fight with in order to not tempt himself into turning aside his intelligence. For how faithful he was to the Covenant, it surprised me when I heard that he came over to the Allegiance the first Separatists created. Then again, with his cynical viewpoints and his brothers' stances in this war, it was the only logical outcome for him to end up here.

"Amadeus is innocent, more so than even the infants of our race. Being so youthful, he hasn't encountered too many lethal fights. Though he's trained much with us and is deemed an excellent fighter, he's stuck to his labs more than to the battlefield. An invaluable trait for a Jiralhanae, given most, if not all, would take a weapon long before a book. It truly is a damn shame that he kept to the Covenant, no doubt in a large part of it because of Maccabeus putting pressure on him into helping achieve the false 'Great Journey'.

"Taurus… is a tough case. He has love for those closest to him, from his birth brother, to his bond-mate, to even the Chieftain General. Believe me when I say that Maccabeus may be colder than a devil's corpse, but also was the one to take his young nephews under his wing. Though the fact that he's always been harsh with his training has led Taurus to develop a distant relationship to him, he still holds a form of care for his uncle. Ironic to the fact that Taurus admired Maccabeus, practically the pinnacle of the Jiralhanae, he's always hated his race. Do you know why, your Honor?" Faith, who'd been listening the whole time, shook her head in doubt. Seeing her shake of the head, Lydus closed the distance between the two a bit more as he whispered, "_His little finger_."

"His little finger?" Faith asked, not understanding the statement.

"Yes. The reason he hates his race is because of his little finger, or rather the lack of it. Have you not noticed that his left hand boasts of only three digits? See, Maccabeus and I trained the two since Tartarus was eight and Taurus six. Before then, the two still had parents, their father being Maccabeus's older brother. Narakus was his name, and Mauerovix hers. Narakus was tough, one known to give hell on the battlefield, and Mauerovix was a good protector of her household and children, though with queer tendencies. Most were overlooked by Narakus and ultimately their children, yet both the General and I knew something wasn't quite right with her. As the years passed, her sporadic behavior increased, yet none of us truly paid mind to it.

"It was around sixty-eight years ago that we noticed how Narakus had gone missing. Not taking any calls nor reporting, we went to his household hoping to find him. When we arrived, we found him lying in the kitchens ground, his chest ripped open with what had probably been the aid of a knife. Both hearts were missing, vilely ripped out and had ended in Gods know where. We believed it had been our enemies, given that Narakus had constantly taken torture as a habit with as much frequency as he could. It was then that we saw his blood splattered a bite on his neck, on what should have been perhaps a bite of care, a show of affection for a race like ours. We then saw Taurus in tears in the corner of the kitchen, too shocked to fully cry at the sight. With him was Mauerovix licking him lightly on the head, leaving his hair lightly pinkish from his father's blood.

"We were in too much shock to act at the moment, despite the regularity of cannibals being in our kind, and only shouted at her to stop when she began to suck at Taurus's pinky finger. She had her back turned to us, so when she heard our bellows, she reacted in fear and shut her trap, taking Taurus's finger as well. It was then the child screamed in pain, fear and agony from losing both his father and his finger to his mother. On instinct, Maccabeus ran to Tartarus's room to find him, hopefully still alive and I stayed to kill her. Though she had the kitchen's knife, it didn't take me much to end her. I broke her neck so Taurus wouldn't have to see her as bloodied as his father, and then I carried him away from the sight.

"The injury was minor and the wound was disinfected with ease, but the psychological trauma remained. That day was what made him hate our culture with a passion that no one else of our kind _or others_ has matched. Since Tartarus was spared from the sight, he didn't change too much, though he grew to help his brother in any way he could and care for him to the best of his ability. Taurus, however, used the experience to set out to accomplish the one true goal he had in his life. It wasn't to find the greatest bond-mate, to fuck every last woman of our kind or to be the most powerful Chieftain of all. It was to change our race's tendencies, from the simplest that was to murder with ease to the cannibalization of others of our kind. Records of him say that his rather friendly and lightheaded behavior is the greatest anomaly of his report. What you see in him today could be said that it's the prolonged insanity from that day sixty-eight years ago that's finally come to strike him."

**4:41 – June 5****th****, 2532 – Retribution's Sword**

Tartarus looked to his right and upwards, to the face of his second in command. Gargantus, the tallest and one of the mightiest in their race, his face was solemn in comparison to his usual hearty demeanor. Little over three meters of height and fur of auburn, it was an irony that he was younger by a year to Tartarus. Not the sharpest when it came to wits, yet still more than enough to fit the rank of a Chieftain Lieutenant, the giant boasted almost everything in strength. Ironically again, said giant was only so much stronger than Bracktanus, who'd earned the second place in that competition. While he silently stared on in respect for the anniversary of his fallen brother's death, Tartarus could not help but feel uncomfortable at the giant's temporary conduct.

He was usually quite throaty, most times speaking more than is necessary, namely being known for making brash statements that he laughed at by himself. With his attitude though, he helped put a smile on others' faces, and frowns on his preys' fearful faces. Tartarus looked at the same thing Gargantus observed, said object being the hologram of Te. The Chieftain Captain commented, "We're getting closer to the Lekgolo homeworld. This will be a hell of a fight, won't it? How many do you think will be able to say after this is over that they manage to defeat the largest armies of Hunters and Raiders this galaxy has to give? Not to mention the countless Scarabs that must plague the surface, too."

Gargantus immediately brightened up at the statement. "Helluva fight it'll be, _ha_! Only we'll be able to come out of this and say that despite how we fought a bunch of worms, we still found a way to fuck 'em up the ass! _HA_!"

Tartarus grinned at his friend's now better mood, knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before they invaded the large world. Though Tartarus had the confidence that they were going to win, he also knew that the fights that were going to take place were going to be complex, putting it lightly. The Lekgolo's architectures and structural basements were unique without a doubt, being the only race that rather than build upwards, built downwards. This left an enormous amount of room for defensive constructions on the top while the rest were far too underground to be affected by the battles and even a glassing, if it came to that. Still, in the lowest levels of their constructions lay the heads of the species, and certain accesses were bound to take them directly to them. Worse came to worst, a heavy bombardment on a specific region would make the grounds collapse on the structures. Not the most conventional, morally correct or strategic idea, but it was always good to keep a fallback plan.

"Entering the Svir system, Chieftains!" Rang the voice of one of the Jiralhanae ensigns. The ships popped out of slip-space as they appeared behind the homeworld's largest moon, Rantu, and began to activate their defenses. Where in the previous mission his brother's fleet engaged the enemy's head on with the hope of gaining the drop of them and suffering the terrible fortune of the Covenant being prepared, Tartarus along with Rtas had their fleets to ready for battle behind the satellite. Shields raised and weapons ready, they made a plot around the titanic rock to view the planet in its splendor.

Te was, for lack of better words, generally a soil-covered planet. Having oceans by the dozens of small sizes, them generally as large as the Humans' Mediterranean Sea, it gave way for countless interlaced jungles and cities. The bodies of waters sprinkled across the surface, some interlaced with rivers long enough to connect them, covered half the surface. The other half was conformed of the hardly rocky exteriors that served as bases for automated structures. Not too many, yet the few there were powerful enough to weaken his fleet if he had a rough fight with the Covie's one. Said armada began to close in on them, practically already aware of their positions. Still not close enough to invade the planet's surface, he heard from the ship's comms, "_Tartarus, the home fleet is inbound_!_ Ready your half for battle, for I will take some of my ships to begin disabling planet-side battlements_! _I'll leave my place and have my second in command aid you with the oncoming fight_! _I shall wait for you groundside when the time to infiltrate the Lekgolo's prime headquarters comes_! _Do your job, and I'll do mine, for the sake of the war and all the lives that hang at its balance_!"

As the transmission ended, he saw a few ships from the fleet of four hundred disappear, leaving Tartarus with three hundred and ninety. Gargantus shook his head at the departing vessels, uttering, "That damned split-jaw is too scared shitless to stay and face the fight forth. How odd that he happens to be Sangheili. Of course he had to be a member of the race that is born naturally with a two meter stick up its ass."

"Scared shitless or not is not what matters now. Warriors, go to your battle stations! We are going to fight the home fleet and we will not stop until we burn them all!" Tartarus bellowed, the ships still in his fleet warming their weapons. At three hundred kilometers, the home fleet stopped, preparing their array of artillery. For a few seconds, everything was silent. It was interrupted by the ensign, who shouted, "Energy projectors, Plasma Turrets and Pulse Laser Turrets ready to go, Sir!"

"FIRE! AIM FOR THE SUPERCARRIERS MARKED AS THE FLAGSHIPS! DESTROYING THEM WILL CUT OFF THEIR MAIN CHAIN OF COMMAND!" The Chieftain Captain's bellow ignited a response from the Lieutenant, him roaring, "YOU HEARD THE CAPTAIN! ALL SHIPS BURN THE HOME FLEET SO WE CAN DOCK ON THE PLANET AND FUCK 'EM OVER HARD ENOUGH TO SAY THAT WE'VE CLAIMED A SECOND HOMEWORLD!"

And then came chaos. Barrages of Plasma Torpedoes, beams of Energy Projectors, salvos of MAC Rounds and more rained on the opposing fleet. The fleet of three hundred began to take losses by the dozens, but not before they unleashed their own volleys. Tartarus's personal Assault Carrier began to shake intensely as several Energy Projectors began to burn at his ship's shields. The onslaught continued, making an ensign shout, "Shields at eighty percent and dropping!"

Of the four Assault Carriers that continuously aimed at the _Retribution's Sword_, two of them shook intensely when they took several sudden bombings that destroyed their plasma defenses, one's hull being breached and its engines being burnt as the other's Pinch Fusion Reactor was seared. Ultimately, both were engulfed in massive blasts originating from their failing systems. The other two ships put a stop to their salvo as they retreated to a more defensive position along with the fleet. A transmission leaked through the ship's radios as the two Jiralhanae looked to the side window to see a UNSC Task Force from the fleet. "_This is Captain Arnold Wallace of the UNSC Trafalgar reporting in, Captain Tartarus_. _We've got your back, Sir_."

"My thanks, Captain Wallace, those pricks were giving my ship a hard time as it was. Our ships are better fit for up close combat or one extraordinarily far away, so I'm assigning those under your command to be the vanguard of the fleet. Your MAC Rounds and Archer Missiles are sure to bring hell to them under any circumstance, so make sure not to give them room to breathe. I'll be following closely behind with the rest of the ships, and if the situation turns to shit, head back to the end of the fleet behind some of our larger crafts, they'll protect you well enough."

"_Understood, Captain_. _Beginning our course towards the enemy's flagship, the _Holy Vanguard!" The radios cut off, and Gargantus commented, "For being meek as they are, those Humans are part of the better lot. Damn shame we're stuck with more cowardly races like that of the Unggoy or some birdy dipshits like the Kig-Yar. There're only so many species that I can actually consider equals to ours. Forget that. It's only the Humans so far, and that's because the Lekgolo aren't keen on fighting and the San'Shyuum are too few to count. The rest are pansies, if spoken modestly of. Ha!"

Tartarus shook his head at the titan's note and instead shouted, "All ships! Follow the Human's Trafalgar and defend them at all costs! Given their minority and weaponry, they shall be our fleet's spear!"

The Retribution's Sword and all those under its command began to move, shooting off several missiles and energy lances along the way. Gargantus then complemented his command, "All fighters, it's time for you to leave your stations and divert their attention! They can't shoot us all at once, and we can take advantage of that through any and all holes in their defenses!"

Fighters ranging from Banshees to Seraphs to even the UNSC's Sabers made their ways out of the ports, beginning their trajectory through the spaces in between the ships of the Covie fleet. Just as they set out though, a horde of enemy spacecrafts of all kinds headed towards their own ships. Taurus grunted as rains of Plasma Torpedoes lands upon his ship, prompting the head of the ensigns to shout, "Sir, we're down to twenty-five percent shields! We can't take much more before they can breach our ship!"

"Then focus all in our power to stop the enemy fire! Concentrate all Pulse Laser Turrets to burn away and preemptively ignite the torpedoes heading for the ship! As for the nearing Supercarrier, prepare the Energy Projector along with the rest of the ships in our sector!"

"Sir!" The Captain's ship finally came up to the _Holy Vanguard_, it almost outsizing six times over. The _Retribution's Sword _maneuvering it to float atop the flagship picked up a cobalt hail emanating from the top of the titanic ship. In turn, several neon magenta beams struck the burning rockets in their tracks, detonating them all through their massive heat as well as dancing over the giant ship's shields. Covered in the blue aura and becoming brighter by the minute, the SA flagship powered its Energy Projector that came from ship's belly. Tartarus felt sweat pouring onto his forehead as he watched the energy from his ship deplete, as well as the ceasing of his own shield's restoration. Just as the Supercarrier's plasmatic defense was about to succumb, the ensign shouted, "Reactor overheated! Stabilizers deprived an additional ten percent of energy to cool it down, Captain!"

"_Fuck_." He growled. The Supercarrier's own laser beams burned what was left of his shields, finally getting to the point where the Jiralhanae ensign shouted, "Shields are down!"

The beams kept on as an additional dozen torpedoes made their way to his ship. Crashing against it, the vessel vehemently shook as the lights flickered and the power wavered. "Damages to ports A and C have them crippled! Port D is offline and B has been destroyed! The other twelve are still online, but the pulse lasers are making their ways towards the engines! They'll leave us immobile if we don't do something, Sir!"

"Damn it! Go forth along with the rest of our ships at top speeds and hide in the center! It'll be the only way we'll survive the-" He was cut off as the violet terrain below his ship pertaining to the _Holy Vanguard_ had its shields overload and vanish, stopping the blitz it was ensuing. Fifteen pods of twenty-four Archer Missiles flew from the sides of the UNSC's personal Supercarrier, the three hundred and sixty projectiles dividing into two dozen more each. While managing only to take out little more than a thousand and a hundred of these rockets, seven thousand and five hundred shells detonated on impact on the Covie Supercarrier's hull. The ship was crippled, and within a moment's notice, a MAC Round shredded through its stomach only to stop at its reactor, destroying the gargantuan vessel. A sigh of relief escaped the mouths of all those aboard the Retribution's Sword, many giving silent thanks to the _Trafalgar_ as Tartarus voiced it through the comms.

The satisfaction was short-lived, however, as the other three enemy Supercarriers nearby closened upon their brethren's corpse, intents on killing its assaulters. Three concentrated energy projectors and the UNSC's headship was pulverized, its hybrid shields not withstanding the massive amount of power pouring on it. The shields recharging, only at thirty percent, could only last a minute at the barrel's end of the trio's armaments. Tartarus was trying to think up any evasive maneuvers they could pull and escape routes they could head through, obviously not having the strength to take on any, much less all of the three Covenant spacecrafts. Options were stressfully limited due to his Carrier's large size, being an easy target from any angle through which his enemies might fire. His thread of thought was cut short with a coming static filled transmission, "_Chieftain Captain Tartarus_!_ This is Chieftain Lieutenant Karmandus of the SA _Wrathful Phantom._ My ship is near-crippled, all defensive shields have been depleted, my plasma reactor is unstable and all weapons are destroyed or offline_."

"I read you, Lieutenant, but I'm sorry to say that we aren't in a good position to help, Hells, we'll be disintegrated within a minute if we can't find a way out of-"

"_I know sir, I can see the Supercarriers heading towards your position_. _My own Supercarrier has been the target of many of the Covenant's own forces_._ The one thing that they haven't taken out is my ship's engines_._ All of my personnel has been evacuated, leaving only those piloting this warship along with myself_. _I can still make use of this ship_._ What I wanted to ask was of you was to take Dossiac back from the bastards who used us, no matter the cost_."

"On my word I will, Lieutenant, and on it I shall raise a statue in the name of your pilots and their Chieftain!" Claimed Tartarus, more than well enough aware of what the Lieutenant was implying. Gargantus alongside him showed a somber attitude towards the message, one similar to the one he kept before the mission began.

"_Ha, no need for the luxuries, Sir_. _My spirit shall be more than satisfied that our home was reclaimed, even if my ashes are never to touch the River of Eternals_. _May the Gods grant you the strength to destroy our enemy and restore the Jiralhanae to our former glory_." The broadcast ended and a fourth Supercarrier came to view, fire licking its body whole as only its engines produced a non-harmful flame. Where the three Covenant controlled spacecrafts were facing the _Retribution's Sword_, the centermost already warming its weaponry, the fourth came from the right, not making any attempts to cease its course. No shields, not even a Supercarrier's could endure the force behind the crash of an object of such magnitude. At the brunt of the impact, the vessel furthermost to the right was split in half, the explosion originating from both its reactor and the assailant ship's own destruction propelling both halves into the other Supercarriers. In a chain reaction of the sorts, the remnants of the two newly destroyed ships crashed against four other Covenant Assault Carriers, totaling on the destruction of seven ships with the sacrifice of one SA Supercarrier.

With the finality of the martyr's last command, the battle begun to die down, the heavier units of the home fleet destroyed or impaired, and the rest was being annihilated by Tartarus's own two hundred and eighty-three surviving ships. Nine Assault Carriers and a single Supercarrier flanked the already losing flotilla, finishing them off with nowhere left for them to hide. Seeing his timing, Tartarus scowled revoltingly and growled, "_You're late_."

"_Their fortifications were hard to bypass, Chieftain Captain_._ This was the fastest we could arrive_." A voice answered from the comms. Gargantus angrily shook his head and Tartarus growled again, keeping his temper in check to avoid breaking anything in the room as he ordered, "Set a course for Varm! And radio Rtas when we're within range to contact him!"

With only scraps remaining from the skirmish posing resistance, the invading fleet's flagship along with its followers neared the large planet. Not near enough to the atmosphere yet close enough to contact the Spec Ops Commander, he questioned through the comms, "Rtas, are you near the capital?"

"_No, I'm stationed a few hundred acres aside_._ I'll be there in twenty minutes by Phantom_."

"Good. Glass the capital." At his order, his ship took aim and sent a molten pile of plasma of great mass at astounding speeds, impacting the stations in the area and giving the effect of a nuclear blast. A cobalt shockwave incinerated the countryside, replacing the ground with glass and caving in the structures built far underground by the Lekgolo. Through the comms he heard and indignant cry, "_ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODSDAMNED MIND_?!"

"No, Rtas, I'm just not willing to sacrifice any more of MY men because of your inability to complete _your job_ with the speed required to complete a task of much importance. I'll be damned if I'M the one ANTAGONIZED for preventing the deaths of thousands of the troops that are to be sent to take the homeworld!" Before the Commander could replied, he shut off the comms, preventing any more derisive remarks from being made by the honor bound Sangheili.

**6:15 – June 5****th****, 2532 – The Edge of Varm**

Rtas landed on the burning ground, not the ideal terrain for a fight as he stared at the pit of the crater. He stood on the brink of Varm, a titanic smoldering hole exposing its true underground metropolis. Not truly damaged, the glassing blast had served as a means of skipping ahead of the enemy ordinance prepared to take on them. At the sound of a Phantom, he and those of his trusted and talented squad, all sporting pure white armor, turned at the sight. The Commander muttered, "That is our ride."

"We have to ride? With _them_?!" Questioned Avor 'Kariss, his second in command. Rtas sighed, "Unfortunately, yes, we do. The moment we step on that Phantom, we will ignore our grudges and any issues we have to settle with them for the time being, understood?"

"Sir." The group of four replied. Looking at the lot, he said, "Actually, I believe that it's better off if only Avor remains with me. The rest of you are to be withdrawn from your service with me and lead any other Special Operatives that may lead tasks around this planet."

Three of the group nodded affirmatively, both relieved of not having to work with the Jiralhanae inbound and troubled that they wouldn't be aiding their leader. Ultimately, they left on the same Phantom through which the group arrived, the other two mounting on the Jiralhanae boarded transport. Levitated into the aircraft, they came face to face with a tall brute in powerful, violet armor, somewhat ornamental. Next to him was a _huge_ brute in crimson armor, not quite as elegant or strong as his counterpart's. Then again, his size likely covered more than what his shell lacked. The Captain hit the side of the Phantom, indicating that it was time to go down the kilometer deep hole. Certain lights flashed that the elites recognized as indications of active stealth systems.

Looking behind them, they found a few jet packs, two of which they grabbed and equipped themselves with. Looking back at the duo, they heard an animalistic snarl coming from the taller of the two. Despite the silver polarized visor, they could tell he was glowering behind the helmet, prompting Avor to question, "Something the manner?"

"Yeah… you two stand where one of our own lies _dead_." The giant spat, making his rage far more evident to the arrivals. He responded with a hiss, "You expect me to grieve for someone capable of _glassing_ a homeworld's capital?!"

In a second, Gargantus nearly sprang at the operative, being stopped only by the Captain. Tartarus, depolarizing the golden plate that protected his face seethed, "_I _chose to glass this city. Do you know why? It's because our ships have been the ones to take the _most_ losses amongst the rest in the fleet. Such is the case where one of our Lieutenants _sacrificed_ himself where he could have escaped and lived on in order to take out not one, not two, but _seven _heavy ships that won the battle. Because _your ships_ arrived too late for them to actually be _fucking useful_, a warrior died for the sake of this battle. I glassed this city because that is the _last_ Chieftain I am losing today on this mission, do you understand _you ignorant fuck_?"

Avor stepped back, intimidated by the giant and reprimanded by the morose and infuriated Captain. Rtas stepped in the middle of both parties, intent on dissuading the forming conflict. He looked at Tartarus and sighed, bowing his head as he crooned, "I'm sorry for your loss, I'd not known of your Lieutenant's valiant death. I am at fault here for not being as deft as I should have been, and now I understand your motives for destroying the city's defenses in such a blast. What is done is done, and there is nothing I can do about your Lieutenant, and for that I will forever be in his debt. The best we can do now is to put aside our feelings on this matter and fight to reclaim this planet, for our own homeworlds shall eventually be our next objectives. Do you accept?"

As he finished, he outstretched his right hand, hoping for a compromise with the Chieftains. Tartarus heaved a sigh as he gave the reptile his own hand, accepting the shake for the time being. When he reached for Gargantus, the latter grunted and returned to his original place, not looking or recognizing the fact that either one of the elites were there. He dropped his empty hand, deducing that the Chieftain was far too angered at the time to come to cooperate. Hearing from his reports, though, bigotry was probably a factor in play as well. As much as he'd like to, he couldn't judge him himself given that he still kept mistrust for the Jiralhanae, something that would understate his second in command's views on the race. Tartarus joined his comrade at his side, polarizing his visor and looking elsewhere, a motion that the two Sangheili copied.

"We are nearing the capital, Chieftains and Operatives." The pilot called as the side entrances opened, motioning for the four to hop out. Taking in his surrounding, Rtas found how odd the Lekgolo architecture was. Resembling columns, the buildings went from the stony floor, this being rockier than the surface given how deep they were, all the way to the also gravelly ceiling. Thick in many respects and varying in materials, some looking like carved stone while others appeared to be erected walls of steel, they supported the top of the tunnels of a hundred and twenty meters of radius. Large and in every respect, the group knew more than well enough that their target was at the center of the city, not too far away from where they were standing.

They began to sprint, led by Tartarus, as they constantly took cover from walking Scarabs and dozens of Hunter patrols, all scattered and active at the city's exposure. The four looked at the giant machines of war as they began to dig into the walls of the crater and climb up, searching for an out to attack the trespassers from above. Countless troops were also making their ways upwards through Banshees and Phantoms, their objective being to protect the city at all costs. It was unnerving, truthfully. The four felt like they'd landed on Hell's deepest pit, being able to watch all the monsters rise and crawl out of it.

Rtas was the first to shake his head from his thoughts and motion towards the others to continue forth, not stopping for anything in their path. As they progressed deeper into the heart of the capital, they watched as the rocky and metallic buildings became fewer and instead replaced by colossal tubes filled with a yellow liquid of low density that served to light up the cavern-like tunnels. Inside each, rows of thousands, if not _millions_ of interlaced Lekgolo formed internal columns to the already cylindrical shaped poles. In silence, Rtas thanked the Gods that the glassing had not damaged the organic pillars, knowing how the Lekgolo valued each individual worm of their kind. Even by the Separatists, the actions would have been heavily condemned, even if they could not do anything to the Chieftain Captain. Then again, before the Alliance, many of those sitting in high command were responsible for the glassings of several of the Humans' colonies. Morality and resentments were things to be sacrificed in times of such a terrible war.

His run was cut short as he stood above yet another cliff, this one being a far more naturally shaped circle. Inside the circumferences walls were slimmer tubes of Lekgolo, lighting up the precipice. Several pieces of violet machinery lay around the limits of the ten-meter radius hole, indicating that Anti-Gravity was the method of transportation upwards and downwards. He began to move towards one, reaching the proximity to activate it, yet a green blast cut his trail short. The hardly mild blast had sent him back a few feet, looking up to find three intimidating figures perched on top of one of the balconies around the place. The four readied their weapons, taking aim as the three hopped down in unison, creating a miniature shockwave from their landing.

Three Raiders rose, towering like the columns above them, as the one in the center spoke, "Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadum and Chieftain Captain Tartarus, you and your subordinates are under arrest for the countless acts of heresy that you have committed. Surrender now, and with luck you shall be given a painless death. Fail to do so, and you have our word that we will kill you in the most excruciating manner possible."

"How's 'fuck you' sound to you?" The gargantuan of the group replied. Rather than answer, the three raised their arms, six green missiles beginning to form in the holes at the center of their palms. The one thing the Commander had heard before he rolled out of the way was an '_ah, fuck_' emanating from the Captain. Then, all hells broke loose.

Rtas had barely just dodged a pair of the green explosives, getting up from his position and grabbing his Energy Swords from their holsters. At the sound of repeating thunders closing in on his location, he rolled yet again to find a crater where he once stood, a giant metallic fist covering it whole. Next came a quick succession of slashing, hacking and punching from the two opponents, both trying to gain an advantage over the other. Still, Rtas was at a great disadvantage, the Raider outmatching him in speed, strength and reach. All he had to save himself was experience that equaled the superb Neurnlekgolo's own and an agility that the giant lacked. The fight was short-lived, however, as a punch that covered his torso and more, sent him wavering back, falling on the ground in an attempt to breathe once more. He looked to find that the beast was already standing over him, this one closing its Jiralhanae modeled hand for a much gorier kill than its cannons could offer. It threw the punch and Rtas closed his eyes for a second, not expecting to ever wake again. He was shocked to open them to find Gargantus holding back the punch with both his hands and the strength of his back. Both struggling to push the other back in a match of equals, Gargantus grunted, "_Oi, _split-jaw_, you have legs, don't you_?_ Use them and get out of the way, 'cause if this Raider kills me because of your inability to move, I'll rise from my grave just to actually cripple you… ha_!"

At his words, Rtas hurdled out of the way and Gargantus roared with an additional burst of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Managing to send the Raider back a bit, the giants took aim at one another, one with its right cannon while the other dual wielded FRGs. Storms of neon green formed from the firefight, both running at the other in a fight of strength and brutality, neither hardly gaining an advantage over the other. The Captain and the elite operative were ganging up on another Raider, his friend's martial arts and skill being complemented by the Chieftain's strength and abilities. His mind jumped when he realized that the third Raider was heading towards him like a missile, dropping from the highest point of a looming tower nearby. Landing once more, he was covered in an explosion-induced cloud before the Commander could do anything about its presence. Looking up, he thanked the Gods for the fourth Raider that'd arrived, this one sporting the Mark of Honor on its right breastplate.

With the arrival of the super unit, he'd not expected the opposing Raider to die as quickly as a Separatist Scarab appeared from behind a column, its main cannon reducing the giant to a smoldering pile of molten metal and burnt worms. Enraged, the Raider fighting the Chieftain and the Operative ran from its fight, too fast for the Scarab's beam and turret to incinerate it. Latching onto its leg, it refused to let go, denting the limb on its climb to the surface of the massive vehicle. No bullets from the soldiers stopped its ascent, it merely throwing them aside when they attempted to pose resistance. In a savage motion, it went to the back of the Scarab and ripped the Lekgolo worms partially controlling it. Within the ninety seconds of its rampage, the berserker Raider destroyed the quadruped monster of metal.

Dozens of Hunters emerged from the sides, flanking the enraged Neurnlekgolo and pouring all their ordinance onto its body. Having rarely any way of covering itself from the onslaught of green mortars. The second Raider, the one against Gargantus, ran to the first's aid, attempt on keeping it alive in spite of the overwhelming odds in the firefight they faced. The SA Raider, the one responsible for their safety, gripped to the side of the stony building and slid down, its massive hands slowing its descent. Reaching the four, it reported, "Sirs, Commander Tametaro Krusin, reporting for duty. We stormed this center, leading Mgalekgolo and Scarabs to stop the Covenant's Neurnlekgolo in their tracks. We were set to come here, for there be a way for turning them to our cause."

"You mean the mini robot mammoths could kiss our asses as easily as they could burn them?" Gargantus questioned. The Raider looked at him and paused, processing the remark in the span of a few seconds. "In essence, yes. If we are capable of passing down our memories and judgment down to the memories of this city's Gathering, then all Lekgolo in the area shall fight for our cause. A few may turn rampant, but they'd be only a fourth of the splintered population. Couple this with you knocking out the power in the same room and the Varm shall be reclaimed. Soon after, Te shall follow."

"The Gathering… that is the massive group of Lekgolo that functions as a hive mind per population of your kind in say, a city, no? If so, then this city must have the largest one in the entire galaxy, given the amount of linked Lekgolo that inhabit the tubes!"

"Almost. On a galactic scale, the Clnylekgolo that inhabits Varm's interior is amongst largest Gatherings, being second to Kyrt, Te's military capital. If I can interlace myself with it, the job will undoubtedly be done. Our objective lies at the bottom of the Consecrated Well. The Anti-Gravitational gears that were meant to take us down have been destroyed, meaning that we'll have to find a way to survive the drop. My armor may just take it, but I doubt that any of you four will be able to withstand the fall."

"Not to worry, the Chieftain Captain has provided us with jet packs. They'll slow our descent. We must go now, your platoon may not survive too long against a pair of Raiders." With that, the group hopped down the tunnel, the tubes illuminating their path in an eerie yellow light. While the Lekgolo Commander had long since left them behind, leaving a thunderous boom upon his landing, the four took a few seconds midfall to use their jet packs to decelerate for a few seconds and then drop again. By the time the group reached the ground, the Raider had its metallic fists off. In their places, a few dozen Lekgolo worms' ends stuck out, moving somewhat casually, closing in on the city's most valuable asset.

Before them was a huge organic column of a mound of Lekgolo worms. It didn't react to them in any way, rather pulsating like a beating heart. It took up almost the entirety of the room, the walls filled with monitors and screens it was interlaced to. The electronic surrounding were the controls to the planet's defenses, they presumed. Rightly so, as countless simultaneous reports and analyses were popping up in each screen, the mound reacting to the constant flow of information. The four paused as the Neurnlekgolo gently dug its 'hands' of dozens of terminations into the organic pile. Then, everything shut down.

Commander Krusin, now his body pulsating in the same rhythm as the Clnylekgolo, emitted bits of steam, the friction of all of the composers of his body creating an amount of heat large enough to produce the heated gas. Not sure as to how to handle the situation, they chose to wait it out, the power returning within the fifth minute. The Raider 'disconnected', turning around as it vibrated the words, "It is done. Varm is ours."

Unbeknownst to the four, Krusin knowing fully well the consequences behind his actions, countless organic tanks were splintering within the moment's notice all around the city. That was without counting the deactivation of whatever anti-air defense systems were still active controlled by the capital. Whatever troops of other Covenant races were annihilated by the combined force of the turned troops and the Separatist invaders. From its roots, Te breathed free life once more.

**Author's Notes: So there you have it, the very first space-battle of the series. Hopefully it wasn't mediocre. I take pride of the fact that I got this out in short timing (given my usual lazy-ass), and I hope that it still retains the quality of previous, longer-timed chapters. Also, there's still a good amount of Separatists racist to certain other races (if not all), this chapter was a reminder. Also hoped you liked Taurus's origins and reasons of being. Like I said up above, keep reviewing and my motivation for bringing chapters in short time will improve more and more. In other words, al constructive critics and reviews are welcome.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes: Weeeeell hello everyone, merry Christmas and happy holidays! I was planning to put this out the 25th as a Christmas treat for you all, but I can't wait to put this shit out. The mass-crossover is becoming more and more of a no-go to me and any OC races submitted CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT have Human factions of any respect. Things like strange, feathery bodies with just a damn human face copypasted on it does not appeal to me, and I will not place it in my story. If you say that it's a bipedal race, double jointed knees, leathery skins, opposable thumbs and a unique face, then I will take it in. That's all I'm saying because on the other subjects, you guys have gotten the right idea (religion, tech, culture, etc). Without further ado, have a Happy New Year and enjoy the last chapter I'll be posting on this story for 2014!**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Armageddon's Last Stand**

**June 5****th****, 2532: **Te is successfully retaken by Chieftain Captain Tartarus's and Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadum's plan, their united fleet taking a sustainable loss. Though a Chieftain Lieutenant was lost along with a pair of Supercarriers, many Raiders, Hunters and other forms of Lekgolo were brought to the SA's support that day. Through Commander Tametaro Krusin's union with Te's capital's Clnylekgolo, a central hivemind that could be called an organic AI that controlled the metropolis's troops and defenses, a large reserve of the heavy units turned sides in favor of the Separatists. Not having accounted the possibility of such a thing being possible, the two leaders had all Separatist Raiders in their fleet head towards the most heavily populated cities and take control of them through the Clnylekgolo. Heavy SA losses recovered and more with the world's population siding with them after all the fighting, the Alliance has gained confidence with the successful taking of the Covenant's cannon fodders and heavy units homeworlds.

**June 7****th****, 2532:** Returning with their prizes reaped, the SA Leaders are satisfied and relieved to hear of the news. The Chieftains reunite with their brethren to properly mourn for their lost brother's death date, despite being a few days off. When the Special Operations Commander inquired of his close friend's wellbeing, they offered no Intel of what had happened or how they had fared as they had none to begin with. This has put many on edge, seeing just how important and powerful the young Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam. Being seventy-five years old and having accomplished as much and more than most of kind had at their late two hundred years, he was an invaluable asset that the SA had gained. Only Rtas 'Vadum had matched his value at the same age as him, both having trained in their youth together. Even if 'Vadam's life wasn't put into account, then the seventeen missing SPARTANs sent on that mission were. Talk of assembling another fleet to scavenge the one that had dropped contact with them was becoming more and more common within the Unyielding Hierophant.

**February 13****th****, 2533:** Incursions continue from both sides, though with the SPARTANs unavailable and defending colonies rather than continue stealth operations, the talk of taking more homeworlds has come to a halt, putting the relatively newly liberated Unggoy and the newly converted Lekgolo to aid in their now defensive stance. On both Te and Balaho, there have been as many as a hundred Orbital Defense Platforms created and placed on each planet, still not the staggering three hundred that surround Earth, yet far better defended than even the Covenant held homeworlds. Not too many resources can be committed to placing two hundred more ODPs per homeworld, not including the Humans', given how most are needed to fabricate ships primarily. The SA Leadership is now rallying ships that aren't committed to protecting systems to form a fleet in search of 'Vadam, the SPARTANs under his command and the rest of his troops. It has been noted how the Covenant has been retracting troops with an unnerving frequency, which has led many to try and convince higher commanders to lead missions against them. The Leadership, somewhat paranoid with the sudden actions, kept their troops still on their defensive posts in mistrust as to the motives for the Covenant playing it safe all of the sudden.

**15:23 – February 14****th****, 2533 – The Spirit of Fire Bridge**

Captain James Cutter sighed as he took another sip of coffee. For two and a half days he hadn't gotten any damn sleep, and now it was taking a heavy toll on him. Serina had suggested on several occasions in the past few hours to lock himself up in one of the cryo-chambers to at least make himself get some shuteye. But with everything happening in the last few days, the last thing he wanted to do was snore in what could be the definitive end of the planet they were in, _not_ on, _in_. Armageddon had been an enigma from the start. The planet itself was filled to the brim with Forerunner structures, but both Cutter and 'Vadam had deemed it as a good fortress, nothing more. That was before their entire damn fleet was 'sucked' by the planets 'enhanced artificial gravity'. They literally went for a whole week through the outer layer of the planet to find a _star_ inside along with inhabited terrains coupled with a Covie fleet of six hundred. Or four hundred and fifty, more likely.

For the first two months of their search of the planet, they'd encountered a massive fleet of seven hundred, which they got the drop on and took down a hundred. They hardly seemed to care and instead fled lightspeed to more specified coordinates. The ones given to himself and the Supreme Commander had been a bit vague, a sector of ten close systems at the end of the Orion Arm, to be exact. In their search for the fortress world, they found the Covenant and hit them hard and fast, which led them to chase the fleet into one of the systems. There they found the _giant_ Fortress World and realized the opposing fleet had disappeared. After entering it, however, the surprise was hardly welcomed by any of both sides.

It had been then, around August of the year 2531 that they managed to get out none of their messages, reports and pleas to the SA HIGHCOM. Many times they'd asked for bigger fleets or tried to warn them of the dangers of the gigantic planet both from the inside and the outside, and yet nothing went out of the planet. Since then, it had been nothing but strategy against the Arbiter, well placed bases and outpost to cover their ground on the planet, and pure endurance. That's how it came to be that for nearly an _entire_ year and a half, both sides had been struggling to gain the planet. Or rather, destroy it on the SA's part.

After learning that Armageddon had been contaminated with a deadly parasite, putting it _very_ lightly, designated the Flood, both 'Vadam and Cutter had agreed that nothing on the planet was worth letting such a deadly lifeform live. Besides that, they'd learned about how a good sector of the planet was conformed of seven-kilometer-long ships, reaching out like towers to the heavens. When they learned that there were nothing short of a _million_, they figured that it was too much for either side, knowing well what would happen should they land onto undesirable hands. That went especially without saying considering the third party inside of the planet.

The Innies had given them all a hard time, establishing bases long before anyone else and wielding bits and pieces of Forerunner tech on the planet. Sure, they'd been the smallest of the bunch, having only two hundred warships, most being Human, a couple of other SA warships stolen by their craftier minds. With their horrible timing and their supremacist ideals that matched the Covenant's, he had no regrets when he issued the order to heavily bombard their bases and stray ships. Most of his orders were cut back however, as suggested by the Supreme Commander. He truly had to admit that his superior was a brilliant strategist, he using a technique that he'd remembered had been used centuries back by the Nazis against the Russians. It was the procedure he praised, not to be confused with the ideals. The strategy? Encrypt false information enough to make it seem like it was important, but not to the point that it would be unhackable. The result of this was that the Covenant picked up and deciphered the data and presumed the Insurrectionists were part of an SA branch. With that in mind, they went and stormed through the bases and the fleets, destroying all in their path while getting crippled themselves. Then 'Vadam would have his own fleet destroy the already wounded foes. That led them to have the odds evened in their favor in the Shield World.

And now he waited, looking out his own UNSC Phoenix-class Warship _Spirit of Fire_ at the landscape bellow. In his ship had lain dozens of experimental schematics generally of vehicles, many of which he considered discarding for their lack of versatility. The Wolverines, the Cobras, the Cyclopes, and the Gremlins had too few specific uses to actually be useful in battle without several other vehicles nearby to take care of the other specified enemy units. The Vultures he admittedly _had_ considered to ask HIGHCOM for mass production given how it was their best counter against a Scarab. The Elephant was already commissioned on several UNSC Warships, something he approved of, and the Warthogs and Scorpions had been useful for many decades already. The others, he viewed as a waste of resources. The only other vehicle he'd given consideration to was the Hawk. In his eyes, the UNSC would be better off decommissioning its Hornets and replacing them with their new and improved version. The Grizzly… well, the Sergeant was always passionate about their firepower, but Cutter saw them as too costly for common placement. Maybe a few that varied per warship and size could be handed out, in case the situation got too messy.

He sighed in annoyance as he shook the intruding thoughts and reports from his head and actually looked beyond him. Under the belly of the _Long Night of Solace_, their fleet was ready to depart from the planet, Sergeant Forge, Red Team, and the Supreme Commander heading down with several forces to secure his ship's hybrid slip-space engine to ensure that it would be set off.

The plan was to have it sent upwards and into the star, causing it to explode and incinerate the planet and all of its inhabitants and ships as suggested by Doctor Anders. To do that, they needed to escort the engine and ensure that it got to its location safely to a rocket built by the SA fleet. Equipped with the best stealth systems, the rocket would go undoubtedly undetected towards the star, giving them thirty minutes to deactivate the shielded exit and escape the planet. Apparently, amongst the reasons they couldn't go in and out of the planet through slip-space was because of an advanced safety measure created by the Forerunners that built the place. Their best idea was to deactivate the portal's shields, use the star to catapult themselves through and out and escape the planet and return to the SA.

There were a thousand different scenarios going through Cutter's mind, all of them as to how anything and everything could go wrong with the plan. And yet, it was the best idea that they had, and no one could think of one better. Taking another drink, he ordered, "Serina, notify me when the Sergeant and Red Team are enroute to the _Spirit of Fire_. When you do, make sure to warm up the engines. As soon as they get here, we make our trajectory out of this place once and for all."

"Understood, Captain. Calculating the best and quickest course out of this world for the _Spirit of Fire_ and the fleet with our makeshift slingshot." She replied with a mischievous smirk. Cutter groaned, placing his face in his right hand as he fought the sleep that threatened to overwhelm him.

**15:29 - February 14****th****, 2533 – Armageddon Rocket Site**

Sergeant Forge looked around him and back at the prism shaped engine. He was holding his shotgun with his right hand as the barrel rested on his right soldier. Around him was an entire platoon of Spartans, something that would have made most marines piss themselves from excitement. Him? He tried to fuck around with them, see where that got him. He didn't provoke them like some of the other idiotic ODSTs tried, but rather tried to joke and socialize with them. With anyone else, they wouldn't budge, but with him they at least had the decency to reply to. Sure, they were short, practically robotic answers, but that was better than the silence they gave to most. That was, of course, until he met Jorge. The only one naturally open and talkative to him and not just because he respected his skills in battle.

They'd talked together for a while on the bridge where Professor Anders had been forced to activate the ships that stood all around them as the pillars between the sky and the ground. The metallic bridge they were on stood in the middle of the two, levitating at three kilometer's height. Anything that fell from the sides had no way of surviving, let alone getting back up. Still, the platoon stood at ease, all awaiting for the makeshift space rocket to take the engine and start its thrusters. In the meantime, Forge had chosen to talk to the titanic war hero, trying to pry as much information from him as possible in a friendly manner.

When he asked him how the hell they were all so damn huge and powerful, he for once got a simple 'classified' from the giant. When he asked him if it had to do with ONI, the Spartan gave a discreet nod. He then chose to back down and stop badgering him on about the subject and proceeded to inquire him about the Supreme Commander, who stood farther away taking the role of a sentry. He knew the reports, all analytically stating that the guy was a natural born badass, but he preferred to hear it from someone who actually worked with the veteran. All the Spartan told him was he would have to see for himself.

He had to admit, with Jorge around, he got to know the crew a lot better and easier than expected. Behind him, he heard a few groans coming from the two hundred meter tall rocket as some of its doors opened, allowing entrance to the engine. Several giant magnets transported the prism inside, where in its place at the rocket's middle were several anti-gravitational machines to keep it safely levitated at its middle. The doors then shut with a loud clank, which gave way to the sounds of several footsteps closing in on them.

Forge looked over to the empty walkway towards the rocket and found several Sangheili Honor Guards, at least a dozen per Spartan, walking towards them. Long spears in hand, they marched on towards them ominously. It was then that 'Vadam roared, "I count two hundred and sixteen Honor Guards, all heading this way! Prepare yourselves, Spartans, and do not let any get to the rocket! Sergeant Forge, assure none get to it!"

Forge gave a nod to the Commander, who'd primed his Energy Swords. All of the Spartans around him, including the giant next to him, readied their weapons at the incoming mass of warriors. In the corner of his eye, Forge spotted a transparent mist speeding past the guards. The beginning of a smirk forming on his face at the thought of payback, he asked the giant, "So Jorge, you think you and your pals can take on about two hundred elite guards? You know what, forget I said that. How long do you think it will take you oversized bastards to kill the Covies coming this way?"

"Heh, hard to say, Forge. Five minutes, give or take?" The giant guessed with what Forge could only guess was a smirk on his face. He chuckled, getting out of the way as the Spartans sped past him, he looked at 'Vadam leading the lot to the onslaught about to occur. The mischievous grin still on his face, he looked around him readying his shotgun as he murmured, "_Now let's play hide and seek, shall we_?"

Facing forward and walking backwards until his head was against the cold, hard metal of the improvised rocket, he looked around to try and find his match. In a second, a transparent figure sped towards him, Forge rolling out of the way as the rocket was stabbed. Getting a shot through, the Arbiter's Active Camouflage faltered as his shields thickened from the blast. A second blast and they were down, but by then the giant had already sliced his weapon in half, leading him to charge and ram into the Sangheili. In a second, the two were down, Forge on top as he grabbed with speed and dexterity his magnum and shot at the giant's sword wielding hand. The giant grunted as a bit of blood spurted from his palm while most bullets were deflected by his armor and threw the Human off of him.

The Sergeant managed to shoot at the giant's knee as he got up, earning an annoyed roar from the beast. Aiming the pistol at the head and pulling the trigger, he paled to hear the distinctive click it gave when out of bullets. Scowling, the Arbiter made for a swing and hit Forge square in the chest with a single jab, sending him back as he hit the unforgiving ground. Nearing the edge of the bridge, both sides giving ways to a massive cliff that only the Forerunner ships managed to reach out from, he moved when the giant attempted to stomp on his form. Taking only half a second to look at the battle between the Spartans and the Honor Guards, he knew the former were winning, but would not make it in time to help him kill the Sangheili leader.

The half a second he wasted took a heavy toll on him as he was hit on the side of his ribs, finally knocking him to the ground again. He coughed a bit, placing his hand over his fractured bones within his chest as he managed to get on his knees again. Greeted with a large hoof to his face, he fell once more. Coughing the blood that accumulated in his mouth, he felt himself be seized by the neck in a strong grip, he looked at the Arbiter's now uncloaked face. "Y'know, you're much uglier up close. Has anyone ever told you that?"

The Arbiter hardly paid mind to his taunt, knowing that he already had the kill and instead replied, "For someone of a kind as pathetic as yours, _demon_, you've fought better than most. But…"

He stopped to look at the infinite amount of titanic columns around them that were the stationed Forerunner ships and continued, "With my new strength, nothing will stop me from eradicating you _Humans_. Not some pathetic _Sergeant_ and certainly not a pathetic _rocket_."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you look at me in the eyes and say that?" Forge growled, prompting the giant holding him to chuckle and turn his head to him. "Very well."

Raising his other arm with an active Energy Sword raised and about to stab him, he repeated, "I shall take these holy warships, drive your kind and all of your heretic allies to extinctions and secure the way so the Prophets can activate the Holy Rings and bring the Great Journey upon-_AHH_!"

The giant howled, holding his moderately wounded wrist in pain, the one stabbed by Forge to set himself free. The Sergeant, who'd run back and grabbed the first Energy Sword the giant had dropped down, holstered his knife and remarked, "You talk too much."

Roaring in a fit of rage, the titan ran at the man, attempting a stab that was deflected by his opponent. With adrenaline bursting through their veins, the two went off at one another like wolves attempting to establish dominance. Each swing being deadly, neither gave room for the other to breathe, though it was obvious that the Arbiter held the upper hand. It was only because the Sergeant had wounded him that the giant was slow, but then again, the only thing that had prevented the Arbiter's punches and kicks on him from being lethal where his experimental shields. A souvenir he'd gained from saving Anders.

Raising his leg back and imprinting his armored hoof onto the Sergeant's chest, the latter's Energy Sword went flying and was caught by the former. No more intents of talking, he was only stopped by a powerful, commanding voice, "Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee! In the name of Sangheilios and those of the Old, I, Thel 'Vadam, Supreme Commander of the Separatist Alliance, challenge you to a duel!"

The giant stopped in his footsteps, snarling viciously as he turned, "I don't _duel_ with _heretics_, you mongrel-"

No more words escaped his mouth as he finished turning his body. The sight before him was one of a mass, unburied graveyard, the hundreds of corpses being his Honor Guards'. All seventeen Spartans were holding a variety of different weapons, all facing him menacingly. The only one not taking aim at him was the Supreme Commander, who like the Arbiter, wielded two Energy Swords. Forge couldn't help but laugh at the sight, managing to cough out, "See that, big fugly? Looks like you don't have much of a choice."

The Arbiter let out a seething grumble as he turned to the fallen Sergeant once more with his right sword raised high. A speedy bullet from one of the sniper using Spartans put a halt to his actions. The Supreme Commander took a few steps forwards, giving him distance between his opponent and the Spartans, scowling. "Turn, Arbiter, and face your crimes before I plunge my blades through your back and carve out your hearts."

Finally, the Arbiter turned to the Supreme Commander, taking a few steps towards him and distancing himself from the Sergeant. "If you think I shall fall easily, then you are even more ignorant than I was led to believe."

"On guard!" 'Vadam shouted, taking a fighter's stance with both his Energy Swords set for use. 'Moramee took a similar posture, if not with a small limp, and glared menacingly at the Commander. He roared and charged while 'Vadam stayed in his defensive position. Right arm raise in an attempt to swipe down onto the Commander while the other reeled back for a stab, the Arbiter's blades were stopped by one of the Commander's while the other buried itself perfectly into both of his hearts. The Covie's eyes widened, his mind and body not having have had the time to process the death that had consumed them. In a quick motion, 'Vadam withdrew his blades and holstered them.

The Arbiter fell within seconds, his glowing eyes still maintaining the shock from the final seconds of his life. The Commander looked at the corpse in disgust, motioning to the others, "Dispose of the body, but retrieve the armor. It is time for it to no longer be worn by failures and criminals, and it is time for it to regain the importance and honor it once held."

Forge looked on with wide, bewildered eyes at the SA superior. The Arbiter, known for having led the destruction of many colonies and being a master strategist as well as an excellent fighter, was killed in a single motion by the Supreme Commander. He could only guess that the Spartans were not surprised, given their lack of emotion and movement until they were finally ordered by the Sangheili. Then again, their polarized visors allowed no one to look at their faces and expressions. The Commander walked over to him and lent him a helping hand, which he took appreciatively. Chuckling a bit, he asked, "Did I soften him enough for you, Sir?"

Rather than maintain a strict posture like most of his kind, he smirked a bit instead and countered, "You've fought hard and well, Sergeant Forge. Very few have come out of a battle against 'Moramee and lived, you being amongst the few to hold your ground more than well enough. I must admit, the wounds you gave him and the state of rage you put him in facilitated my victory, you have my thanks. Remind me of that when we return to my ship and I shall request a promotion you very much deserve."

"Heh, I'm flattered, Sir, but that won't do too much good. I've been promoted a couple of times before and then demoted for 'insubordination' and 'assaulting my superiors'. Of course, no one wants to admit that some orders were complete horseshit, pardon the language, and those superiors were looking for an ass-kicking themselves."

"In my culture, if a warrior, no matter the rank, does an act against the rules imposed by the leader of the platoon, it is put on trial if he or she truly believes if it was right. If the warrior did the act on instinct and turned out to be successful and more so than if he kept to the rules, the warrior is pardoned and at times is even considered for a promotion. Amongst those of my kind, one who has the natural instinct and strength to do the right thing is worth more than just pardoning his or her actions, it is a trait very much venerated. I like to believe that that's what's led me to earn the rank I hold now, a value I now see in you. Besides, even if you're not looked at with prestige by either my species or yours, I've seen the rather unorthodox methods used by the Jiralhanae which are looked at in favor by their kind. One way or another, your talent is guaranteed to be found."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll keep that in mind when we come back home. That'll have to wait though, we still need to get that exit open if we're ever going to get the hell out of here." The Sergeant remarked, now understanding the esteem the Supreme Commander had earned. He nodded, continuing, "I shall call for a pair of Phantoms to bring us to the site of the portal, and I shall make sure that a fair amount of my force's strength clear all enemies that may attempt to protect the gate."

**15:47 - February 14****th****, 2533 – Armageddon Gate Site**

Forge found himself talking again to Jorge after having a first aid kit administered to his minor to moderate injuries. The Phantom they rode on had provided more than enough to help him recover and render him useful in battle again. Though for a while they'd been talking mainly the strategy to fighting off the ground forces in the area as quickly as possible, now they were taking on a more leisurely conversation. At least, for a soldier's standard it was.

"So you managed to get two shotgun blasts into him, a couple of bullets and a stab before he got you down?" The giant inquired.

"When you put it like that, it sounds like I lasted half a minute. I mean shit, I was head to head with this guy with his own damn sword! Hell, I'm still pretty damn thankful that the Commander saved my ass. Speaking of which, now I see why the guy is worshiped so much. He killed the Arbiter, the same elite that's been giving the SA hell for years, in a _single move_. That one's for the record."

"That's Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam for you. Tactically unpredictable, strategically intelligent and innovative, and talented at fighting on nearly every terrain with almost all, if not all weapons. I've been a witness to a fight between him and one of us Spartans, I'm not going to say who, which he won. That's something no Covie has managed in years. If I were to fight the man, it'd have to be on familiar terrain and with the weapons of my preference to have as many odds in my favor as I possibly could to win."

"Now _that's_ something I'd like to see." Forge remarked as he heard a small alarm-like noise coming from his forearm. Looking at the pad, he looked at the counter for thirty minutes finally coming to a start. For once, he grimaced a bit. "Timer's started, half an hour 'till the rocket's out."

"And we're here." Continued the large Spartan at the sight of the transport side doors opening to let them through. They hopped onto the terrain, partly brown and grassy, partly yellow and barren. They stood in front of a tall, thick, pyramid-like Forerunner console. The metal wasn't quite as grey as the one standardly used in the UNSC military, but not quite as white and elegant as some of the other Forerunner Alloys used.

He heard over the comms the familiar Professor's voice say, "_To all the troops aboard Armageddon, the six Forerunner consoles put on each corner of the portal are what will have its shields deactivated_. _From my readings say, we can't just press them all in whatever order we want, we have to do it in a certain order_. _They have to be deactivated in pairs, the ones in opposite corners, to be exact_. _That means we'll need the ground covered from all six sides and at least one human around to deactivate them within at least twenty minutes, twenty-five tops to have time to escape the planet_. _If we do this, the Covenant, Insurrection, Flood and the Forerunner Warships within this planet will all be destroyed and we'll be able to return home_."

"Roger that! You heard the lady, spread out the forces and have six groups ready to be stationed down on each end! I'm already in front of the one at the North, and two of the Spartans will hop down with me to help me activate it! Forces nearby can help us eliminate immediate threats!" He shouted through the comms, jumping out of the troop transport along with two of the massive figures aboard with him. Reaching the ground, he stood up quickly and gave a brief glance behind him to look at the Phantom flying elsewhere and at the two green armored behemoths and the serials imprinted on their breastplates. On the two were the numbers '010' and '141', holding a Battle Rifle and a Sniper Rifle respectively. He frowned slightly, disappointed by the fact that the Spartan with the serial '052' was not amongst them.

He placed his fingers to his right ear, speaking through it, "Placed somewhere else, Jorge?"

"_Sorry Forge, the Flood's giving hell to the marines at the South Gate, need a couple of heavy weapons specialists to suppress the mass for a while_._ Alice, Douglas and I are the best chance at keeping the corpses safe and unmoving in their graves_._ Tell you what, we'll have a drink or two back at the _Spirit of Fire _when we're all through with this, deal_?"

"I'll hold you to that, big man, in the meantime, I'll stick to the North Gate with your giant pals. Radio me when you've activated it so we can do our part and help the others at the other gates!"

"_Sure thing, Forge_." He took his fingers from his ear and unholstered his shotgun, turning to face the two Super Soldiers temporarily under his command. He remembered from the times he'd tried to talk to them that they were both women under the armor, prompting him to smirk, "Well ladies, I doubt I need to tell you what to do, so let's move to the gate and rally the forces in the area while we're at it."

"Sir." The two answered, giving curt nods at his orders. He then went on to sprint to his objective, only about a hundred meters away, with the two Spartans behind him hardly jogging to match his pace. A few Covies here and there, mostly Sangheili as preferred by the late prejudicial Arbiter, and the path was clear. He got to the grey pyramid gate, placing his hand against the five or six fingered holograph that formed before him. It lit up, going from a light blue cobalt to a bright white, awaiting its counterpart to deactivate to shut itself down.

Satisfied with his easily done task, he shouted through the comms, "Northern Gate clear! Forces clear for repositioning as soon as the South Gate is through!"

Within seconds of his answer, he watched as an extraordinarily large, triangular portion of the kilometers-long shield become inactive and the holograph die down. "_Southern Gate is down, all forces in the area are available to any other marines that are in a rough spot at their gates_."

"_This is Zealot Ro-Fhar, acting superior of the armed forces at the North Eastern Gate requesting reinforcements_. _Covenant Wraiths are overwhelming our strength and all the Humans under my command have perished_. _All those available that have the quickest vehicles and aircrafts, I need all those that I can get effective immediately_."

The Sergeant groaned slightly at the setback, still having twenty-three minutes until evac time. Looking at the fifty troops nearby, he motioned to the Spartans to follow him as he got closer to a fully manned Warthog. Reaching the driver, he immediately put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Son, we're going to need the car."

The marine immediately nodded and hopped out of it along with the copilot and the turret gunman. In a second, he was already taking the wheel and the Spartans '010' and '141' took the turret and passenger positions respectively. He shouted to the aircrafts around, "All Hornets, Warthogs and anything else that can get through quickly follow me!"

With that, he started the Warthog at a pace suited for the Super Soldiers manning the rest of the vehicle with him. Behind him, he heard the stampede that followed him through the unruly trek. Hornets and Banshees stormed through the air, speeding past him at a slightly faster speed. Looking to his right, he looked at the triangular hole far more in depth, almost gawking at its size until a trendily snapped his attention back to the unpaved road. All around him, tentacles originating from the ground attempted to knock over his Warthog, successfully doing so to several others under his command. Spartan 010, knowing they wouldn't leave the planet quickly enough if they stopped to kill everything in their path, she took several pragmatic shots with the Gauss Turret at the tentacles that got too close for comfort.

Arriving to the gate's position with half the ground forces lost, the Sergeant was at the very least relieved that the air forces were giving over a dozen Wraiths a tough time. Looking at the Kig-Yar Zealot in command, along with dozens of other ground troops, he drove to her position, allowing the Spartans out of the car as well. Several Human corpses lay near the area, holding true her statement as evidence of what she'd said. He jogged closer to her, shouting, "Ma'am, we got here as soon as we could! Hopefully they'll be enough to buy time to activate the gate!"

"That's the problem, Sergeant. Two of the Wraiths stationed themselves in front of the console, and we're having a hard time avoiding the shots of all the others as it is. The South West Gate has already radioed that they've activated it, and the other two can't do anything until we do our part."

He turned back, looking at the Spartans behind him who'd likely already planned the next course of action. "We'll take care of it, ma'am."

He looked from the cover that the destroyed Scorpion tank had provided at the two heavy vehicles of mauve, each one on one of the sides of the console. "Alright, the two of you take the one on the left. Given the fact that the Covie forces are coming from the left side, chances are you'll be under heavier fire. The good thing is that the swarm of Hornets are attracting most of the Wraiths, so I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. Besides, you're Spartans. I doubt that you're the type of soldiers that will get killed by a stray shot."

"Sir, that means you'll be taking on the one on the right alone." One of the two stated in a baritone voice. He simply smiled, "Of course, I don't want you hogging up all the fun for yourselves."

Before they could say anything more, he made a run for it. In his sprint, he found that the Wraiths had fired both their shots at him. His mind racing to an additional prototype Anders had added to his experimental shields other than their improved strength. He activated what he had been led to understand was a Hardlight Shield, deflecting the blasts that hit it. They hit the ground in front of him, causing him to fall back. His shields were almost depleted from the strength of the hit.

He got up again to find that the two Spartans were already on the left Wraith, additionally distracting the one on the right. He took at a good luck at the back of the right Covenant tank, making himself sprint as his shields took their times recuperating. Hopping onto the back, he grabbed the shotgun with one hand and forced it through the venting hole, pumping a single good shot into it. Immediately it burst through into flames, prompting the Sergeant to roll back as the entire tank exploded with its engines overloading.

Up again, he found the left tank in a state exact to his, if not worse and the two Super Soldiers standing by. Well, one had a defensive pose while the other was already deactivating the gate, prompting two more portions of the shields to deactivate. Through the radios, he heard the Supreme Commander's voice, "_I see that the gate is almost down. I am already warming my vessel's engines and telling the rest of the fleet to do so_. _The Captain Cutter is already sending several Pelicans, Phantoms and other transport vehicles to pick up the ground troops_. _Hurry and finish, for time is running short_."

"_Sir, this is Spartan-092, the final parts of the gate's shields have been taken down_. _It's done_."

"_Excellent news, Spartan_. _Transport is en route and should be there within minutes_. _Get on immediately, we've only thirteen minutes before the rocket starts, and its trajectory should last ten minutes at the most_." Forge looked at the skies to find dozens and dozens, maybe even a hundred and a half of Pelicans and Phantoms heading for their positions. Finally, one of the green, metallic buzzards stopped in front of him and the Spartans, prompting the Sergeant to roar, "C'MON, GET ON EVERYONE! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!"

He ran for the open backdoor, the Spartans still reaching long it before he was halfway there. Getting on and looking back to find several marines taking spots on it and strapping themselves in, the Spartans at the seat closest to the pilot's pit, he went there, happy to find that the copilot's spot had been empty. Before he sat down, he put his hand on the pilot's chair, an ODST who'd chosen to stay silent throughout the whole ride. Chuckling a bit, he put his fingers to his ear and joked, "Well Jorge, I've just come out of a fight with a Wraith and I'm pretty damn tired. Sounds like you ought to start finding the drinks."

All he was greeted was by much static, a bit of the large man's voice and several growls from around him. "Jorge?! Jorge! Talk to me!"

By now, the two Spartans had gotten up from their seats and were next to him, tuning in on the conversation tensely as they heard the results from the radio. Finally, a voice came through, "_Ther_…_ lot_…_ forms_…_ and we're overrun_._ I'm sorry Forge, you're going to have my drink for me_._ While all of these bastards were concentrated on us, there was more room for everyone else to get to the transports with part of the pressure the Flood was giving taken off of them. Jorge, out_._"_

"Jorge! JORGE! Damn it all!" The Sergeant bellow, prompting all to turn to him. He gave a look at the pilot and cried, "We have to go back!"

"Sorry, orders are clear. We need to get the hell out of dodge before this whole damn planet burns."

"Weren't you listening?! There're _Spartans_ down there, _three_ of them, all trapped down there with no other transport to get them through!"

"They chose to take one for the team and that's that. We're getting out of here just as the Supreme Commander ordered.

"I don't think we're very clear on this subject. Get. To the Spartans. _Now_."

"I'm a Lieutenant, so I don't take orders from you. Besides, the hell do a couple of those oversized _freaks_ matter? We've got enough of them already. So I'm ordering _you_ to stand down and sit the fuck back down."

Forge reeled his head back. "You're doing this on purpose, _aren't you_?! You rat _bastard_!"

"Alright, next insult and I give you my word I'll-" He was cut off with the single haymaker the Sergeant delivered to the right half of his face. Immediately knocked from his place, Forge took his seat as he barked to the Spartans, "One-four-one! Get on the copilot seat and make sure any bogies in the way spend their last seconds of their lives looking straight at our missiles! Cero-one-cero, restrain the Lieutenant! He starts bitching again, do me a favor and knock him out again!"

He heard not a sound from either of the two, but he felt a heavy thump behind him on the seat before his and he watched as two green armored arms grabbed the unconscious ODST like a rag doll, getting him out of the way. He hadn't had too many flight lessons, but he'd been taught his way around the basics of most vehicles. The word '_shit_' crossed his mind when forms of biomass launched at the Pelican, most scraping it just barely. Knowing that he was almost at the giant's location, he made for a steep dive-bomb, the Spartan behind him guiding the rockets into the flood masses leaping at him. Seeing the three green figures barely holding off the overpowering parasite, he bellowed, "CERO-ONE-CERO, MAN THE TURRET AND COVER THE SPARTANS! TIMER'S DOWN TO FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE ROCKET STARTS AND THEY'RE ABOUT TO LEAVE THIS SHITHOLE OF A PLANET WITHOUT US! MOVE IT!"

The Spartan ran, spaying hundreds of bullets at the horde of undead continuously overlapping their fallen and trying to get to the other Super Soldiers. The three heavy weapons specialists looked in shock at the open Pelican and wasted no time on getting on it. Jorge stayed beside the turret-manning giant unleashing his own barrage of bullets originating from his minigun. In half a second, the door was shot, and the Pelican shot out to the sky.

At that, Jorge dropped his weapon, it resonating throughout the entire vehicle as he stomped to the Pelican's head. Stepping over a downed shock troop, he looked at the pilot working the controls and shouted, "Forge, are you out of your mind?!"

"Not NOW, Jorge! I'm flying this Pelican into the _Spirit of Fire_ even if I have to crash this goddamned plane into it!" He roared right back, taking Jorge by surprise. The Sergeant turned his head ninety degrees to at least look at the Spartan partly, "Contact Captain Cutter! Tell him that one last Pelican is on its way with five Spartans aboard and a team of marines! I know he won't stop now, hell, I'm sure he can't, but he can at least open one of the docks to let us through!"

Jorge said nothing and instead returned to the more occupied part of the Pelican, where his other Spartan brethren were. Forge heard him radio Cutter, but hardly paid any attention to it when looking at the skies in front of him. Where the SA fleet was concentrated in a thick pile, the ones at the front facing the star already departing, many Covenant ships were scattered around like a plague. Maneuvering the Pelican to have as much distance between them as possible, he found the _Spirit of Fire_ moving a bit slower than the rest, positioning itself with the warships at the fleet's end. The foremost ships were already catapulting towards the star when he finally found himself close enough to the armada to identify his home ship. Unfortunately, he hadn't looked out quickly enough for the Corvette.

It was over nearly as quickly as it had started. A lone, stray Covenant Corvette had come around close enough to him to fire several of its munitions, his senses kicking just quickly enough to dodge the shots. One shot made it through to the engines, however, prompting smoke to come from it. Sweat ran down his face when he saw the ship warming up for another attack, but it was partly relieved when a MAC round tore through it. He was already trying to think up of good ways to thank Cutter for that, but his soldier's mind kicked in and with several flashing lights at the controls, he already knew there were several things wrong with the Pelican now. Some of the others warned him about them, some even screamed at him, but he heard none of it as he zoned out to fly the collapsing troop transport to the last of its ability.

He came closer and closer to the belly of the ship, his heart pounding harder and his ears hearing only a very light pitch lingering from the engines' combustion. He was either ignoring everything but his objective, or everyone and everything decided to keep quiet for the next minute. Then, like the light at the end of the tunnel, he saw one of its ports open to greet it just as its thrusters already conjuring propelling pillars of fire. Catching up and letting a thankful cry of joy when he made it through, he paled again when he could hear everything and realized that the Pelican was far too damaged to stop.

Now the sweat went past his brow, knowing that there was no stopping the ship, mind in denial at the idea of dying inside of the ship after a system failure. He immediately went for the ground at a forty-five degree angle to make the crash lighter than it had to be, roaring, "_EVERYONE_, _HANG ON_!"

His mind paralyzed as the ship finally crashed, not being able to process anything other than basic instinct from that moment on. The ship only partly lit up in flames, sliding across the floor and closing in on the front wall in front of them. Nothing he could, do he watched in horror for a split second as pulverized glass flew at him, past him from the crash against the wall. The next split second his head was going at great speeds with the momentum gathered towards the ship's controls, crashing against it. He laid in an awkward position with his entire body leaning forwards, his bleeding face and cracked skull laying on the metallic, destroyed console.

**13:51 – February 16****th****, 2533 – The Spirit of Fire Medical Wing**

Forge opened his eyes with much efforts, annoyed by the intensity of the bright, white lights that seemed to flash directly at him. After having have gone through similar scenarios with flashbang practice tests and other times he'd been sent to the hospital, he simply shut his eyes and tried to organize his thoughts, starting with the last thing he'd seen. He remembered bits and pieces of the Pelican crash, the massive surge of adrenaline having similar effects on his memories than the ones produced by a night with one too many shots. He faintly heard two voices, one young and female with a very astute feel to it and another old and male voice that spoke with stern authority. He immediately knew who the two were.

"…geant? Sergeant! Sergeant John Forge is waking up!" Anders announced quickly, somewhat worriedly to the nurses. One got close, studied him over quite quickly before getting a syringe out. He caught her arm before it could reach anywhere near him, but made sure to also be as gentle as he could possibly be. A task easier now that he was stripped of his armor. He managed to smile despite his entire face aching in pain from the small act. "Don't worry, miss. I'm sure I've gotten enough sleep as it is."

Now his senses regained, he saw her delicate face scrunch up in worry and her mouth open, ready to debate when a single hand on her shoulder stopped her from even starting. Captain Cutter and Professor Anders both stood near him, giving nods to the nurses that they could attend to others. The older man started, "You made a hell of a risk, Sergeant."

"Yes, Sir, I did. But, in my defense, Spartans are too valuable just to lose or leave behind. We need soldiers, nor martyrs. If they made it, then the risk was worth it for me." He replied, being more formal with his superior but still maintaining his smile. After all, the Captain had been one of the few to put up with his rowdy behavior. Cutter, looking at the question in his eyes, answered, "A hell of a lot happened, and the team of marines and the ODST needed serious medical attention like you, but the Spartans made it."

"Then it was worth it." He murmured putting his head back on the pillow with a more relaxed smile on his face. Before Cutter could say it, the Sergeant said, "I know I'm going to be put on trial for the whole 'knocking out the obnoxious prick' thing, Captain. Just tell me the time and I'll report to your bridge."

"If you can do it later tonight, then the earlier, the better. Sergeant, though what you did was nothing short of reckless in my book, I give you my word that you'll have my support when the time comes. Maybe you stepped over the line two days ago, no matter how successful the plan was, but for a year and a half, you've been a beacon of hope for the marines on the ground, and I'll be damned if I ignore or forget that." He stated, serious complexion on his face. Forge smiled at the superior gratefully, "Thank you, Sir. It's been a pleasure."

Before he left, the _Spirit of Fire_'s Captain extended his hand towards the man in the bed, who took it in a firm shake. With that, the older man turned on his heels and lightly marched out of the room, leaving Anders and Forge alone. The former shook her head and closed her eyes stressfully. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do. Pretty damn proud of it too." He jabbed. The Professor took a look at him and rolled her eyes before they both fell into a staring contest. Neither said anything for a minute, and then the two started laughing, each second becoming progressively louder until Forge clutched his wounded stomach from the ache it gave.

"Well, Professor, mind telling me what the hell happened _two_ days ago." He inquired quite curiously. She sat on the bed, looking up and letting out an exasperated sigh. "Where do I _begin_? Well, other than your crash, which is a lot on its own, there was everything that involved escaping the planet. Of course, we're about to go through with a plan that may just be a one-way ticket to our deaths and you're sleeping while we're at it."

"Ah, cut me some slack, Anders. I was saving those titanic bastards for a pretty good reason, so I'd say I earned that 'sleep'." He shot back good-naturedly. She chuckled at his remark and continued, "Well, the 'slingshot theory' worked and we all got out of the opened gate in one piece. Seeing that planet explode made me think of how proud you would have been to watch how you've finally managed to explode an entire world."

"What can I say? Not even the scrapbooks could have captured the glory of such a moment." She rolled her eyes again prompting both to chuckle more as he continued, "Damn shame I missed it."

At that, she stayed silent and failed to hold back a smirk. Forge's widened as he prompted, "What did you do, Anders?"

"Well, with all of the Flood, the Forerunner Warships and countless other things in there, this mission is bound to be classified. However, evidence _is_ required to ensure SA HIGHCOM that the situation was taken care of, so I figured saving a few of the cameras' copies of the moment would give them all the insurance they would need." Forge showed his two rows of white teeth at what she head, laughing loud and heartily. He knew that all of her excuses were technically valid, but were complete and utter bullshit just to save him a copy. "I'm glad my influence on you has grown."

"I'll have you know, Sergeant Forge, that I did this entirely on my own accord."

"Exactly." They both laughed again, before they both finally stopped and Forge's smile took on a rare, serene level. "I'm not sure if the reports were clear, but a couple of Wraiths shot at me. I'd be dead if it weren't for your prototypes of extreme endurance and that Forerunner 'Hardlight'. You know that, right?"

She looked at him in a small amount of astonishment, not having expected his sudden serious tone. She placed a stray strand of hair in front of her eye behind her ear before she looked at the floor. "After my escape, the Flood spores would have infected me if you weren't there. It's only logical that I pay you back. Besides, the experimental schematics could b-"

"Ellen." All he said was that one word and she stopped in the middle of her oral report to look at him again. Still wearing the same, serene smile, his face said everything he had to say, with his hand grabbing her forearm to prove the sentiment of gratitude. "It was nothing, really, I was just-"

He stopped her midway, grabbing her nape and taking her lips in his. It wasn't very long, and there was hardly any tongue, mainly because of Forge's injuries, and within seconds she let her go. Her cheeks had a small taint of pink in them, the largest amount of emotion being in her wide, astonished eyes. She couldn't help but smile again, saying, "You took a big risk, John."

"Worth it."

"You really are reckless."

"Not as much as you think if I keep winning my gambles."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. The fact alone that you didn't break my skull again is a win for me." The two laughed loud and hard again, finally feeling some relief from what had been the longest mission in their lives, managing to forget about the war if only for a brief period. She got up from the bed, giving an annoyed sigh. "Well, I have to get back to my office and write an unnerving amount of reports. I'd say I'd be worried for your hearing, but I wouldn't be surprised if I just find you walking up and about by tomorrow."

"Yeah, my bet's been going on the fact that they're all too damn tired to put me in the brig, and my rank is way too low to demote. Chances are, they're going to give me a school-styled scolding and send me to my room without supper. Knowing how my luck at gambling's been going recently, I'm not really worried." She laughed and stood up, grabbing his hand a final time before heading to the door. Before she could go through, the doors opened for a giant in olive-green armor, giving her a scare that brought the Sergeant to chuckle. She stepped aside, giving way for him to pass as the helmeted warrior gave her a curt, respectful nod and made his way over to the Sergeant. With Anders gone and Forge alone, Jorge took off his helmet.

"You're insane, Forge." He laughed. Forge laughed too, "And you're late, Jorge. There's been like half a dozen ways Anders and Cutter said it before you arrived, so tell me something that I don't know."

The large man simply smirked, opening a strange suitcase he'd had with him for no apparent reason. Inside was a bottle of rum and another of cupam, the large man taking the latter and the Sergeant taking the former. Opening it without much effort, they both toasted silently to a year and a half of working together, the time in which they'd formed their bonds, and took a good chug. Forge valued the drink after not having anything to drink in days, and then looked up at the giant smiling at him. "What is it?"

"Nothing, just that it's a damn shame that you're a marine."

"Why, don't want to admit that I saved your sorry ass."

"Heh, no, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"You would have been a hell of a Spartan." Forge took the drink from his mouth to ponder the giant's words. Jorge, in turn, left him after putting a strong hand on his shoulder. About to leave, he stopped at Forge's request, "Hey Jorge, could you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Could you call the Supreme Commander for me? Tell him I have a hearing tonight."

**Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. Forge being awesome, an insight on what the hell had happened in the Shield World (yes, Armageddon is the Shield World's name), Jorge being awesome, and the Arbiter's dead. Yeah, I think this has been a good chapter to close the year with, and I once again wish you all a merry Christmas/happy holidays and a Happy New Year!**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Notes: Ladies and gentlemen, I bring forth the first chapter of 2015. I know I can't say it enough, but I'm really sorry for the two month delay. Between weddings, many family meetings, overwhelming amounts of school projects and tests and having to start my search for colleges that may suit me have taken up almost all of my time. That and it took me like three damn weeks just to think about where I could even start with writing this chapter. Jesus _Christ_, now I know why people choose to write chapters inspired by levels and cinematics of the actual games. It's a hell of a lot easier when you know exactly what's going to happen and only having to modify bits and pieces. Anyways, the new chapter's finally here.**

**I'm also going to apologize because I've actually had this chapter ready for a week and wanted to post it the day after tomorrow, but I can't take the damn wait anymore. I did this because March 1st, 2014 was the day the very first chapter for this story was posted. I don't think I can stress that enough. I mean, holy _shit_, it's been an entire _year_ since the first chapter was posted and for an entire _year_ I've been writing on as much as I have for this story. I wanted to thank you all for falling with me into this rabbit hole of a journey, and I really have enjoyed doing this. While I thank EVERYONE who's read and especially reviewed this story, I also want to give a very special thanks to those who were reading and following this since the very beginning. You know who you are. Without further ado, please enjoy the twelfth installment for this Part and a considerable checkpoint in this story!**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Ulgethon's Crypts**

**February 14****th****, 2533:** Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam's and Captain James Cutter's forces escape from Armageddon, successfully destroying the planet and eliminating the Arbiter. While there had been much consideration before in finding a way to assassinate the Covenant leader, it was always cast down and replaced for another objective as it was the rank itself that gave him importance and would be replaced immediately upon death. In the fortress world, however, Sergeant John Forge encountered the Arbiter twice, and on the second encounter had weakened him enough to have the Supreme Commander end him.

**February 16****th****, 2533:** The fleet returns to the Unyielding Hierophant to report the success, finding a few hundred ships awaiting their return. The fleet in charge of the forces' recovery was disbanded and reassigned to their previous post, most defending SA systems while others were kept on standby, ready for the next offensive to be taken. John Forge, through several actions where he's proved his courage and capability to most situations, was promoted to the rank of a marine Major. While Forge was set on trial for direct insubordination and assaulting the superior during the fleet's escape from the planet, the Supreme Commander himself was quick to defend his case and prove his actions had been more than worthy for a raise. Between 'Vadam's support and how it was pointed out that Forge had been demoted several times for occasions similar to the occurrence during the fourteenth, it was decided to return several of the lost promotions in addition to the one he gained for saving three SPARTANs. Soon after the arrival of the seventeen SPARTANs from the fleet, the SPARTAN trios that'd stayed on the defensive were reunited with their teams to resume their roles in special operations. It is also decided that Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinra will take up the role and title of the Sangheili Arbiter.

**September 3****rd****, 2533: **The SA Leaders have begun to prepare for the retaking of an offensive stance in the war. The past few months, Covenant incursions were recorded to be rare and few, not quite as powerful as they used to be. The Leaders, knowing that the Covenant wasn't the type of hegemony to allow defeat in their troops attempted to think why they would not be focusing their efforts on them. They reached two conclusions: Either they were preparing something strong and powerful amongst their soldiers or they were facing something worse than them. They were more inclined to believe the former, yet did not discard the latter. Either ways, they did not know which they should fear more.

**January 10****th****, 2535:** With only a few incursions from the SA's part, they've learned of how many colonies were abandoned by the Covenant. Most, if not all, had their defenses still in place, as if ready to return. They attempted to send a few stealth-prodigious drones to the homeworlds still not taken, but as expected, they did not return. Operations for taking the ghost colonies are being prepared to cover as much territory as they could before they returned. On another note, there has been no word of a Covenant Arbiter since 'Moramee's death. The reason behind this is theorized to be because the rank of Arbiter, both an honor and a stain, was a form of redemption for Sangheili looking to restore their lost honor. 'Moramee's failure might have marked the lack of honor of an Arbiter far too low to be used again, that and the fact that the armor was retaken and modified by the SA is likely to have turned it into a symbol of heresy.

**March 1****st****, 2535:** Fa'hier, a Kig-Yar satellite previously held by the Covenant, was taken by a fleet of fifty SA ships. Arriving on the settlement, they were quick to raid the bases and intelligence centers, all with the attempts of gaining any Intel left behind. They found the bases clean of information, power supplies or cores, and any sort of weaponry. Soon after, connection was lost with them.

**April 7****th****, 2535:** The second fleet of two hundred ships sent to Fa'hier returned to the Unyielding Hierophant, reporting their disturbing findings. The moon was blackened in most, if not all places where the SA troops had landed. They soon found that there were countless plasma, nuclear-grade explosives planted all around the colony. Receiving this information, the SA Leaders put an immediate halt to their colony-retaking operations. A few more fleets were dispatched to other colonies that had been 'Successfully Retaken' by the Separatist Alliance.

**June 13****th****, 2535:** The last of the fleets return to report the same findings that the second fleet sent to Fa'hier recorded. While the losses were not monumental, not having stricken many Covenant fleets or bases as of late gave a considerable amount of demoralization to the SA soldiers. Ships are being rallied for what could be the next mission to take another homeworld.

**November 19****th****, 2535: **Ulgethon, the Sangheili world and original home of the Special Operations Center, was discovered amongst the planets barren of troops and population. After several thorough searches, it was discovered that no explosives were rigged on the planet. Being an important location to both sides, the SA has assigned both Chieftain Captains, a few of their Lieutenants and a large team of SPARTANs in order to retake the colony and possibly reconstruct deleted information. Amongst the other reason why so much strength is being given to this operation is because of unknown activity detected inside of one of the most significant research centers. The small platoon departed on Chieftain Captain Tartarus's Assault Carrier, Retribution's Sword, with Chieftain Captain Taurus taking his own Bloody Dagger in case of necessary ordinance.

**15:03 – November 29****th****, 2535 – Madrid, Spain, Europe, Earth**

John Forge rubbed his freshly shaved head eagerly. It had been awhile since he'd gotten some shore leave and he was going to damn well enjoy it to the fullest. After talking a little while to Ellen in the morning, he had spent the day walking around the country's capital, most of the outer, ancient architecture intact and on display. He had to admit, nothing was as relaxing as walking with the masses of people, practically unaware of the massive war going on. Sure, subjects while eating out tended to revolve around the matter, and most channels consisted on reports of the better parts and successful missions of the war. The ones not classified, at least. Still, most people talked on and on about the subject as if it didn't involve them, as if it they lived in a protected bubble outside of the galaxy. That, though, could never be the life for him. He liked to take a few breathers here and there, but nothing permanent. He was a military man through and through.

He paid them no mind as he made his way to a large park, sitting on a wooden bench near its entrance. After all, he could hardly wait to meet up with Adriane. Forge had been very quick to join the military, even by family standards. Not too many knew why he went to boot camp as early as he was young at sixteen years. Most presumed that it was to keep the family name, one that went back to soldiers from World War II. It wasn't that he didn't want to keep it, no, he loved a good fight. But he joined especially young to be able to provide the income necessary to maintain Annalise. Having stupidly gotten drunk at a high school party had led him to leave the fifteen year-old at the time pregnant, and knowing abortion was not an option, he took up arms.

While the two felt love for each other at first, it turned out to have been nothing more than youthful hormones. John spent too much time in the military and Annalise had spent much of her time teaching their child and studying for school. It didn't take long for the two to drift apart, and by the time they'd agreed on getting a divorce, the Great War broke out. Neither had the time to sign the papers with the circumstances following, but both had agreed on how they would be seeing other people, others who could make them happy. They didn't really have a grudge against one another, but the truth was that their marriage had happened mainly due to Adriane's birth. Still, John contacted Annalise several times a month to check up on Adrienne, most times happy about how she was doing. He spent all the downtime the military would allow to visit her, sometimes Annalise doing him the favor of taking her to him.

In the past few months, however, they both made time for the papers and the court that came with completing their divorce. Annalise, he found, had had a lover for a few years, whom she introduced to Adrienne. He'd pulled a couple of strings here and there when he heard, managing to get a profile from the man. Franklin O'Donovan was a clean businessman, he read, generally looked up to by his peers, workers and friends. He had to admit, he felt happy that that had been the man who partly took care of his daughter.

With their divorce finished, the two got married, now an actual couple rather than hidden lovers. He also felt less nervous about pursuing a relationship with Ellen, so it worked out pretty well for him too. Then there was Adrienne, in the perfect middle of the entire complexity that had been his and Annalise's marriage. She grew up a rough kid, in many ways taking after his father's old behavior: picking fights pretty easily, defending the bullied, having an obscenely large mouth and a head too big for her shoulders. She had been a Forge through and through, that much he knew. In the later years, she thankfully begun to inherit her mother's levelheadedness when it came to important situations. His two-year-long disappearance had taken a toll on her, but she pulled through.

When he came back, he saw her just that much more different. With her teen years ending, her hormones dying down, she was a completely different girl since he'd last seen her. Now, however, he would be seeing her for the first time in six months. He expected a woman to take the place of the grown child he'd last seen, and now he was more than excited to celebrate her eighteen years with her. It made him ponder over how quickly time passed. It almost made him miss the rather scarred and shady man that sat next to him discretely and quickly. Forge looked at the man and questioned in a loud and irritated tone to try and scare him away, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Me? No, you don't know me and you'll probably never see me again. However, there is much you could do to help Humanity." He answered softly, looking at the trees innocently.

"Is that right?"

"Quite so, 'Major'. Major. How long do you think you'll keep rank before some higher ranking officer with a pole up his ass demotes you again?"

"With our new 'friends', I'm pretty sure that won't be happening anytime soon. Now let me ask you something. Why the hell did ONI send you to me?"

"You're sharp, Major, sharper than most. See, you can spend the rest of your days and the rest of this war playing that heroic 'Major' until you push it too far and they burn you for it. You know what? I'll humor you. Let's say you don't lose your rank. Let's say they promote you, 'Commander Forge'. Eventually getting a higher ranking as your time in the UNSC pays off. The ideal soldier. You really think that you're doing something for this galaxy?"

"Hell, I don't mean to brag, but I don't see anyone else, much less any one of _you spooks _taking on Covie leaders, raiding their bases or destroying their moral support. So frankly, I don't think you have some solid ground to stand on if you're trying to burn me."

"Fair enough, but once this war ends, because it _will _end, where do you think you'll be? You think you're just going to spend the rest of your time filing out reports and having to greet some other sour-assed Admirals first thing in the morning? No, Major. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. You were born to dive face first into any and every battle required to win."

"Yeah, and what do you propose?"

"Be something more."

"I'm not going to be a spook."

"I know that. Like I said, you're all about facing the battle before anyone else does, and we want you to do it for us before the fight even starts."

"What? Wetwork?"

"Not quite. Assassinations don't suit you, but you _would_ be sent against lesser known enemies and their bases."

"So you're telling me ONI wants me to do their dirty laundry? I'll pass."

"No, we'd have you kill terrorists who would very quickly react to an invading armada and kill more people than we can save. Less is more, Major, that's something you'll learn sooner or later. Asides, you wouldn't be getting shit from any and every officer watching your every move, you'd be under our jurisdiction."

"And what makes you think I'm so fit for the job?"

"Well, Major, between doing whatever it takes to win and having quite a high success ratio, you've given more than enough reason for us to keep an eye on you."

"'Whatever it takes'? I'm sure as hell not willing to kill my own men in an instant, so don't try to put me under the same standards as _you_."

"Really, Major? Is that what you tell yourself at night? From what I've read, you made a miraculous landing when the Pelican you hijacked entered the _Spirit of Fire_. Miraculous in the sense that it ought to have exploded and killed you and the marines aboard. The Spartans, however, would have survived either ways. You knew from the very moment you went back to pick them up that it could be mean the death of _your_ men, which would have still been worth it if the Super Soldiers survived. Whether you knew this consciously or whether it was a voice in the back of your mind remembering you that, it doesn't matter. What's done is done, and you lucked out. Still, between your combat skills and your ability to give up more than most would even think would make you an ideal candidate for our program. To overcome a monster, Major, you must be willing to throw aside your humanity."

"Yeah, that's nice and everything, but I'm pretty damn busy. I'm heading back next week and I don't plan to abandon my troops or this war."

"We guessed as much, which is why we would have you join after the war ends. Well, I've said all that needs to be said, it's time for me to leave."

"_Wait_. First off, I haven't given an answer yet. Secondly, where the hell am I supposed to find you when I want to give it?"

"Don't worry about that, Major, we'll be the ones to find you. We'll see you soon enough, Major Forge." Before he could get anything else out of the man, the operative got up, walking up to a mass of people and going through it. He never caught sight of him again, but if he did, he was sure he activated an Active Camouflage unit. It should have surprised him if that was it, but with ONI, nothing could be too surprising. From the same mass, another person came in his direction. A strikingly beautiful young woman with dirty blond hair, a mischievous smile and height to match her father's came close. John quickly shook his head from his thoughts about the spook and stood up to hug his daughter with all his might. They both laughed wholeheartedly, his daughter chuckling, "Good afternoon, sir."

He smiled back, "Good afternoon young lady. How's life treating you?"

"Well, I've had better days, but still happy to see you."

"What happened?"

"Remember that jackass I told you about that wouldn't stop hitting on me?"

"Yeah, what did he do now?"

"Tried to kiss me. Well, by 'kiss', I mean he threw himself onto me. I think I busted his balls up pretty good, though. I don't think he would have puked otherwise."

"Ha! And people doubt if you truly are a Forge." They both laughed throatily again before her father asked, "How's your mother?"

"Good, worried as always though."

"Doesn't surprise me, your mother's always had a habit about always knowing how others are doing. Then again, I don't think there is a person in the galaxy that isn't worried right now with just how things have been lately. How's Frank been treating you?"

"Pretty good, too. I don't mean to sound horrible or anything when I say this, but I'm glad mom found him."

"Not at all, I'm glad that that's the man taking care of you while I'm away. I stressed your mother way too much while we were together. Hey, let's go. This place is starting to get stale."

"Paranoid, dad? You of all people? You need to take a break more often."

"Yeah, you could say that…"

**21:43 – November 29****th****, 2535 – The Bloody Dagger**

Taurus was groaning with exasperation, face near purple with lack of breath. Still, his chest heaved up and down, giving the false illusion that oxygen entered his lungs. Beads of sweat were beginning to drop from the top of his very humid forehead. He clenched his jaw to the point where his teeth grinded against one another with more than enough force to bite another person's arm off. His left fist pounded against the table he was leaning on, begging for both mercy and victory. At the other side of the table was Bracktanus, very red and only now beginning to sweat from the contest, not putting as much strength and energy into the arm wrestling match as his opponent. For a second, the Captain opened his eyes to find his rival wearing the most broad, shit-eating grin he'd seen in the Lieutenant in months. It would have made him laugh, but he had not the oxygen to spare for it. Then, in a final impulse of raw power, Bracktanus slammed Taurus's arm on his side of the table.

He finally gasped, filling his lungs with the air he'd craved for the last minute and a half. Holding his defeated arm, he let his upper torso fall on the table, closing his eyes again at the relief of not being under as much strain as he was. The comforting hands of his bond-mate rubbed his back, helping alleviate the general tiredness the bout had brought on him. Face on the cold, metallic table composed of the usual violet alloys the alien coalition tended to fancy, he heard Bracktanus boast, "Are you still goin' to fuck around with me, Taurus?"

"Of course I will, you damn cheater." He breathed, still cradling his arm.

"Cheater? Who the fuck are you callin' a cheater?!" The smaller Jiralhanae growled.

"_You_, dipshit. No one could come up against your right arm if they tried. I mean, who else pleasures his cock as much a day as you? Hell, give me a decade of solitude and I'm pretty sure I'd be giving you a run for your money right now." He grunted, earning a couple of laughs from his old squad, including his brother. At the comment, the Lieutenant fumed, "Cheater? _Cheater_?! If I'm a cheater, then you're a _retard_, Taurus! All you do is try fuckin' with me and pissin' me off bad, even when you know you'd end up with your cock ripped off and shoved down your damn throat!"

"But Bracktanus, can't you see I'm doing all this just for you? Hells, I cry myself to sleep every night that I remember the oversized pike up your ass that you were born with. And day and night, all I try to do is remove it little by little only to lose any and all progress whenever you get pissed off! Do you have any idea what it's like to attempt to save a lost cause for several decades?" Taurus sobbed in a melodramatic tone, looking directly at his subordinate and friend. Bracktanus, all blood rushed to his face again, seethed, "_That's it_."

Seeing the hot-blooded warrior stand up made Taurus pale. "_Oh shit_."

Immediately, Taurus ran out of the lounge, Bracktanus hot in his pursuit while the others hollered ever so loudly. Sighing with a smile, his brother commented, "It's good some things will never change."

"Aye, the day Taurus shan't joke or make folly statements when nearby Bracktanus shall be the day when all Hells and worse freeze even the most scorched deserts. I pray that it never comes, or at least, that we'll have long since passed to the life beyond afore it happens." Ceretus murmured somberly. Samallix walked up to him, grasping his shoulder. "Ceretus, you know better than anyone else that Taurus wouldn't stop just for anything. Besides, we'll always be there to remind him who he is if he ever feels out of it."

"Damn right! Hell, we'll smack him on the back of the head until he snaps back, ha!" Gargantus chuckled, a smile showing his two white rows of extraordinarily sharp teeth.

"No, _please_, no more. The midget's beaten me enough as it is." Taurus moaned, a slight limp visible in his walk reentering the room. Bracktanus followed not quite so far behind, his winning smile plastered on his face again. All six back in the room, they began to talk when they were quite quickly interrupted by the sound of a timer impending from the lounge's electronic clock. They looked at it understanding what it meant. Taurus wore the largest smile they'd seen him with in a long time, eagerly turning to his squad and brother. "Well then, seems we'll be heading down together in a few minutes. Damn, this is really starting to feel like old times."

"Mayhap, yet thinking it over, no time like the present, no?" Ceretus commented, smiling slightly, not something common for the Chieftain. Bracktanus's smile faded, "And it would almost be perfect, if it weren't for those fucking _Humans_."

"Come on now, Bracktanus. They ain't Jiralhanae, sure, but at least they ain't as annoying as the Sangheili. Then again, I don't think there's another race that can match their honor bound stupidity." Gargantus replied. "Besides, Humans know a hella lot about war, and they've been fighting for a couple millennia. They're scrawny, that much is obvious, but they at least got the will to fight. Their 'Shock Troops' do a good amount of damage from what I hear, but they're nothing in comparison to the Spartans, which is what we're getting. Reports have it they know how to make it rain shit on the battlefield and still come out of it perfectly clean."

"It's not _that_, Gargantus! Everythin' that's happenin' right now, every fuckin' thing that's been happenin' for the past decade has been because of those tiny shits! Before they came around, we were a united people, a proud people, a powerful people! Now, it's been at least ten fuckin' years since I've so much as looked at Dossiac! Every godsdamned I see a corpse of our kind along the field, I'm not sure if he or she was one of the warriors I was protectin' or if it was one of the warriors I was shootin'! All because those stupid little shits decided to go sniffin' around our territory! No, now it's not even _our_ territory!"

The five had watched the Lieutenant roar on and on, all feeling an amount of empathy for him, knowing his point of view was justified in its own way. Samallix was the first to respond, "Bracktanus, if they hadn't 'sniffed' about our territory, then we would likely still be united under the Prophets' hierarchy, and that would have been the death of us. I don't like having to fight our own under these circumstances any more than you do, but it's either fight a civil war and live or band together and die all the same."

"She's right Bracktanus, and you know it. Hells, there is not a person in this entire damn alliance who can say hates this more than _me_. It's _my_ old squad that we're fighting against, Bracktanus, the ones _I_ protected, the ones _I_ depended on and the ones _I_ lead. So if anyone in this godsdamned ship deserves to rant on about how shitty our situation is, it's _me_, and frankly, I'd rather spend my time doing what I can to take back what's ours than sit on my ass and bitch about how cruel life is." Tartarus rumbled, his orange eyes burning with the rage that fueled them.

"You're _shitting_ me. Will no one in this FUCKING ROOM back me up when it comes to everything we've godsdamned LOST?! And besides, how the Hells do you all know that the Oracle hasn't lied about what it's said?! How do you know that there is no Great Journey?! There was a reason that shitty orb was called a 'Blind-"

Anything more that Bracktanus had to say was cut off as he was turned around by Taurus and given a fierce headbutt. Stunned a bit, he hardly had time to register the Captain grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! WE'VE GONE _TOO FAR_, DONE _TOO MUCH_ AND KILLED _TOO MANY_ TO GO BACK NOW! THE HUMANS. ARE. OUR. _ALLIES_. GET. _OVER IT_! HOW THE HELLS DO YOU THINK IT FUCKING FELT TO KNOW THAT I'D BEEN THE DEATH OF ONE OF OUR COMRADES, ONE OF OUR _BROTHERS_?! WHY IN ALL _SEVEN HELLS_ DO YOU THINK I RECOVERED HIS BODY?! I HATE THIS FUCKING WAR FAR MORE THAN YOU, BUT I _REFUSE_ TO ALLOW _LIES_ TO CLOUD _MY_ VISION AND LET THEM INTERFERE WITH _MY_ GOALS, AND _I'LL_ BE DAMNED IF I LET _YOU_ BE BLINDED AS WELL! THE HUMANS. ARE NOT. _OUR ENEMIES_!"

To hear a Jiralhanae murderously roar was not uncommon to hear in the lower ranks, most not wanting to contain their spontaneous fury. Amongst the higher ranked, such as their Lieutenants and Majors, it would become less common and far more dangerous to ignite ire in their troops. The Chieftains, however, were capable of changing the favors of a firefight if they allowed their overwhelming anger to consume them. For some, such as Bracktanus, it was very common, and very dangerous. For others it was much less so, but still occurred, for instance Tartarus, Samallix, and Gargantus, making the rare occurrences extraordinarily deadly. Then there were those like Taurus, Ceretus, and Lydus, who almost never lost their levelheadedness whether in battle or not.

Though the Chieftains accustomed themselves to control their anger and use their adrenaline reserves with their minds cooled, rage was still under a very thin leash when under a berserk murder spree. Some would have it loose, others would make sure to strain it, and others near chocked it and never let it cloud their minds. Taurus was, by all means, a particularly even-tempered Jiralhanae, his humor having always been the tool to suppress his wrath. The very few who'd seen him in such a state had never lived to tell the tale. Ironically, it was his friends whom he unleashed his entire reserves of ire at, most of the times for their own good. It was the combination of his care for his comrades, his skills in leadership and his king-like roar that earned him the rank of a Chieftain Captain, what led his friends and subordinates to never question things he'd drawn a line on. It was now that he reinforced said set of skills and managed to knock sense into Bracktanus where none of the others had managed it.

It was also his personality that led him to speak more peacefully, "Bracktanus… the Great Journey is a lie. It is a powerful lie, _beautiful_ even. A lie capable of making our race unite better than any other attempts made by ancestral Chieftains of the old, but it is also the quickest way for the death of us all. It is, in many ways, a sedative given before a poison. The truth, however, is cold and harsh, infinitely harder to accept. Far more damaging than a warhammer to the heart, and yet, that is the reality of things. If it wasn't, then the phrase 'ignorance is bliss' would not exist, or at the very least mean the opposite.

"Still, this truth, this cold, hard _reality_… is all we have left. If we take that away, what will we have? An entire race of brutes willing to kill anyone and everyone to get what they like. This truth is amongst the few things keeping discipline in our race, it is something we cannot afford to sacrifice, not anymore. But to face this truth, you must be well armed, very much prepared to take every hit it can and _will_ give. I can't do this alone, and you can't neither. Hells, none of us could manage doing this alone. That is why it's essential we stay together, watch each other's backs where our sights don't reach. This is the only way, Bracktanus, and I need you by my side just as much as I need the others."

Now visibly less shaken up, Bracktanus gave a deep weary sigh. "I… I understand. I'm sorry for my outburst. But, like you said… ignorance is bliss. And that too, is the godsdamned truth. And while what you've said is more probable than what the Prophets propose, I can't lie and say I'll see eye to eye with the Humans. Hells, if I'm lost in realm beyond, hardly conscious, I'd hardly appreciate someone reminding me that I'm fucking dead. I ain't going to shoot them, but I doubt I'll ever hold as much respect for a Human as I do for a Jiralhanae. Call me close-minded, but I'm not fucking joking when I see no other race that I can relate to, much less when one wanted to have us all killed for our lack of honor and the other one hit us as hard with the truth as they did."

Taurus looked at the smaller Jiralhanae and sighed, "Sooner or later, Bracktanus, you will learn that truth is not a weapon to be wielded. If it helps you to believe so that it's the Humans whom used it against us, so be it, so long as it will not lead you to betray the trust they've given us in spite of the fact that it was _us_ that started the war. Either ways, this conversation will have to wait. We're starting the mission in ten and we still haven't even taken our weapons. Everyone, on me."

Mentally more tired by the discussion started by the two, they all stood up a bit too briskly for their mood and headed out of the room, their armor boots echoing in the emptiness of the lounge.

**22:21 – November 29****th****, 2535 – Ulgethon Central Base Outskirts**

John checked his Assault Rifle to make sure it was clear and working well, feeling reassured and satisfied at hearing the click at turning off its safety. All of Blue Team followed close behind weapons ready and aiming at wherever enemies could jump out from. They moved through the lightly through the dunes, waves of sand rising and falling with the strong winds being conjured by the dry storm above them. While they could have been dropped off in the middle of the central base and go from there, everyone had come to the conclusion that a planet as valuable as Ulgethon would not have been left entirely abandoned. So, they moved through the terrains to make their way to the frontal gates of the fortress for an outpost.

Only about half a kilometer away, Linda stepped forward with her sniper in hand and looked through its scope at the giant structure ahead of them. A metal of dark grey, far older and more ornamental than the average Covenant mauve was its main component, bits and pieces of other materials here and there to decorate and mark it. It wasn't long before the team heard through the comms Linda's short, "_All clear_."

They moved onwards, keeping a pace that almost matched a jog, still intently careful not to miss anything that might have been set up to ward off intruders. It wasn't long before Kelly started talking, "Well, guess this is our first mission with only the Chieftains. Where are they going through, by the way?"

"If I remember correctly, I think they're supposed to go straight to the Command Center, make sure we're not being watched." Kurt replied, slightly behind them.

"While we're on the subject, are Chieftain Captain Taurus and Chieftain Lieutenant Samallix 'bond-mates?" Serin asked, her Battle Rifle facing the ground in her trot.

"Yes, records state they've been that for about two decades." The leader of the Spartans answered from the front. Kelly pondered, "That's basically their word our husband and wife, right?"

"More or less. Same meaning, hell of a lot more intense about it from what I've heard." Sam quipped from John's right, somewhat eager for small talk.

"What's the difference?" Kelly questioned on. At this point, most of the Spartans of the team looked at John expectantly. There was a moment of silence before a bare, golden-glowing woman appeared on his shoulder, mischievous and knowing smile on her face. She would have truly been naked had she actual genitalia, yet there was nothing for anyone to see from the AI.

"Ah, where to begin? Well, for one, the Jiralhanae are ironically more passionate about proposing than us. You can't just know the person you care for in their kind and simply offer a ring, you have to bring something valuable enough back to prove that you care." Kalmiya's voice rang through the comms.

Being a high priority mission, Halsey had intended to put her own prototype AI in use to test her abilities and aid the Spartans. The chip, safely in John's neural interface, had sent a cold wave to every nerve in his body the second it was planted in his helmet. It hadn't been horrible or traumatic in any way, and yet it had been very much a unique experience. Even more so considering that he had another voice residing in his head, able to hear his thoughts from time to time. Most of the time, however, he hadn't allowed it and made it clear to her that she was better off not crossing his limits and invading his privacy. Besides that, the AI had been a great addition to the team, enabling them to go through electronically locked gates and decipher deeply coded information. Besides that, she also helped as a talking encyclopedia of just about anything and everything known in Human records with a personality, leading the team to ask her from time to time about subjects they weren't very well aware of, other than the mission's objectives and ways to bypass certain obstacles.

"How so?"

"It's a way for their women to see just how far their lovers would go or how much they would do to save them and keep them safe. Their women aren't pushovers, sure, but it's the men who tend to learn to fight at a younger age. Sure, it changed a lot with the whole 'Jiralhanae women's conscription', but the tradition stayed all the same."

"And what do they usually bring?" Jamie questioned for farther back in the group.

"Anything that involves doing something dangerous. See, the males tend to 'choose' the females that they want to be with, and the females can decide whether or not to 'accept' them. Some will bring things like stones from the insides of active volcanoes, others will bring the skins of alpha predators from a horde, there are those that even bring enemies' heads as prizes they reaped. Taurus? Hell, if doing any of those things is standard in their race, then he's a romantic." Kalmiya chuckled, her short, holographic hair waving slightly with her heaves.

"What did he do?" Frederic asked, not as interested in the love the trials proved as much as the challenges themselves that they implied.

"Well, what do you all know of Thresher Maws?" The AI inquired. The Spartans looked at her for a bit before Linda started, "Thresher Maws. Gigantic, near-indestructible worms that survive just about any weather and eat any living thing that they can find. Basically gigantic parasites that have spores capable of enduring space and land on unfortunate colonies. UNSC haven't had any records or experiences with them yet, but reports have it that Jiralhanae worlds closer to the left end of the Orion Arm have had a few of them living in them. They probably weren't born in our side of known space, though. What's important is to bring something along the lines of a big team and maybe one or two tanks if you're going up against one."

"Well, when Taurus 'proposed' to Samallix, many thought he'd be bringing back something big given his notable reputation. Maybe it would be a Chieftain's heart or a precious stone from the bottom of the deepest pit filled to the brim with apex predators. He took it a step further than that and traveled for a few days to outer Jiralhanae space to find one of the Thresher Maw nests scattered in one of their abandoned worlds. He came back a few days later with the tips of its tongue and several recordings of him killing it without any vehicles."

"Wait, he killed it alone _groundside_? I get that he really wanted to get laid and all, but that's just taking it too far." The Spartans smiled under their helmets at Sam's remark, prompting Kalmiya to chuckle and say, "Yep, that's Chieftain Taurus for you. Little more than fifty years old and he pulled off that stunt to have his bond-mate. He bears more love for her than most Jiralhanae revere the River of Eternals."

Kelly groaned, "Okay, what the hell is the 'River of Eternals'? I've heard too many say it and I'll be damned if I'm kept in the dark here."

"Well, before the Jiralhanae were inducted into the Covenant, they worshipped gods, mostly war gods. Between the whole 'glory of battle' and other customs followed by their race, the River of Eternals was the one-"

"That can wait. We're here." The conversation cut short with John's stern orders, they looked at the gate in front of them. Over six meters tall and twenty from one side to the other, it reminded them much of old human structures. While the Sangheili fortification was constructed with alloys, there were many old hieroglyphs and statues on the gates and many other places on the base's skin that likely had historical significance to their kind. The behemoth with the callsign '117' got closer to a small pedestal at the right side, hovering his hand over Kalmiya as she took her place over it. She looked at the structure herself for a few minutes before she snapped her fingers and the doors began to open.

Neon green lights hardly illuminated the hall, the only ones lighting the inside of the base being the ones high up on the walls. Though the ceiling looked to have several openings for better quality bulbs that could help them see more clearly, it was obvious that the power core was shut down, leaving only the secondary lights on with what they assumed was an emergency generator. The hallway, even larger and more spacious than the gate that gave it entrance looked ominous with the lack of proper lighting, leading the Spartans to take up a slower pace with their weapons ready. John immediately went to the front, hearing Kalmiya's voice through his helmet.

"_Lack of power will likely help us out with not tripping alarms and avoiding traps that can't work without energy, but we're better off getting to the power core_. _We need to turn it on to see just how well this place is still working, after all, we're better off not discarding any chances of recovering Intel_. _I think I can scan a map here and find where it is. Give me a second_."

There were a few minutes of silence before she continued, "_Keep going forwards_."

The team of Super Soldiers moved onwards, walking in the center of the large hall. It was as thirty meters, ten meters of height giving the feeling that the place should have been built by larger beings. And yet, the dozens of five meter statues placed on both sides of the hall of large Sangheili warriors looking down at them gave them little doubt of the forgers of this place. The statues, separated at least ten meters apart from one another and sometimes giving enough room for a gate that led to other smaller hallways and compartments, had a unique look about them. Each one was different from one another, even varying in heights within the range of five meters, give or take a few centimeters. The armors, an old grey steel that was far more elegant than the one the outpost was mainly composed of, leading Grace to ask, "Is this the right place? It looks more like a museum than an actual base."

"You're forgetting that these are the Sangheili, not us Humans. They tend to value historically important warriors, and grand-scale battle events. And these? They've been the best of the best to come from their race. These are the memorials of the Arbiters."

"The Arbiters? Doesn't High Charity have a mausoleum for them?"

"_Yes, but the Sangheili were never really satisfied with knowing that the best of their kin weren't buried in their grounds, even if they served the Covenant_. _So, in order to not cross the Prophets and be forced into secession or submission by being accused of 'treason', they created their own memoirs_. _Besides, the Arbiters were in their kind long before the Covenant inducted them_. _Some of these Sangheili were born millennia ago, an example of how much they take to heart being a powerful soldier and an excellent leader_. _Go right at the end of the hall_."

Finally they came to the great hall's end, a giant looming statue looking down at them with seven meter's height. After letting their helmets process the words inscribed on its chest long enough, they read the ancient text. _Erd 'Vadam, the First_. Shocked somewhat by the discovery, Kalmiya was quick to say, "_The Supreme Commander's lineage goes a long way back_. _Being prodigious since his early youth was a trait likely passed generation to generation_. _You could say that he was born to be powerful_. _Either ways, they always tend to leave a strong example of what the Sangheili stand for: strength, courage, intelligence, diligence and honor_."

Satisfied with the explanation, the marched onwards, their weapons ready to fire at a moment's notice. Going right, the hall they entered was half as tall and stretched as the one they had since passed, allowing the emergency lights to cover more. Filled with more doors to the sides, they watched the lines of statues continue, more cramped now with the ceiling lower than on the main hall. "_Stairs to the right on the middle of the hall_."

The Spartans took note of the AI's instruction, taking a sharper stride as they neared the stairway. Reaching the second floor, John stepped on a rather unpleasant substance. Quickly stepping back and giving the closed fist sign to tell the others to stop, he knelt in front of the matter and analyzed it. Being in one of the lesser lighted places of the base, his helmet's lights flickered on and pointed directly at the dense fluid. Seemingly green with the neon lights, it also looked worn out and old, blackened by something which he could not figure out.

"Keep your guard up. Whatever this is, it's dried up and deteriorated, but it's not too old. We're probably not alone." John's baritone voice rung through the halls. He didn't need to turn around to know that the others had nodded, instead standing up and walking forwards, looking intently at whatever lied in front of him in readiness for combat and also at the floor should there be any more traces of the substances around. In his mind he asked, _What do you think it was_?

_That stuff_? _I'd pass it off as blood_. _It's green, I know, it may have been infected with some sort of parasite or virus_. _Then again, it looked like it was way too much concentrated on one specific spot to be blood_._ Maybe some sort of substance shot by a weapon_. _Chemical weapons, maybe? This place is a research center, after all. Either ways, be prepared for anything_. _Like you said, it's pretty unlikely that we're alone_.

_Noted_. Though it had been strange for him at first, he quickly got used to speaking with the AI by just thinking questions directly to her. Effectively enough, she always had an answer for him. Looking forwards with his helmet's lights still on, he gestured to the others to turn theirs on as well. Though they'd been content with the dark for stealth, it was undoubtedly better identifying whatever it was that was that laid on the ground. With far more lanterns lighting up the large, circular rooms, they found that far more of it was scattered around the room.

Most were batches on the walls that varied in height, John quickly noticing that they varied from a meter and a half's height from the ground up to two and a half. Only a few were unusually high up on the ten meter tall walls. The more he looked, the more he figured Kalmiya's weapon theory proved to be true. He moved to a pedestal in the middle of the room and placed her on it. "Can you get what recreate what happened here?"

"Well, I may just be able to do it, but I'll have to turn off the lights in this room. There's little enough energy as it is, without the additional lamps' I won't get anywhere if I tried." John contemplated it for only a second before he turned to the others. "Form a circle. Leave no spaces in between. We will not be getting ambushed."

Arranging themselves in a position where a weapon faced every direction in the room, Kalmiya shut off the lights. Their helmets illuminating bits and pieces of the room, they awaited the AI's work when the pedestal began projecting holograms in many different places. It began with several vague silhouettes of varying shapes and sizes, all standing against the walls. Effectively enough, most stood in front of the large batches of materials, them going through what was likely their hearts. Then they began to move.

Once they did, they passed rather quickly through the room until they stopped where another set of batches were, as if they'd been shot and disappeared because of them. A few of the projections flew up high, one sticking to the ceiling before disappearing like the rest of the lot. They looked upwards, the batch of green material just above where the initial batch on the ground was. Now getting a better idea of what had happened, they immediately turned their heads at hearing a sound behind one of the doors. The lights glowed once more, illuminating the room in its neon green essence.

Weapons aimed, Li pointed her flashlights at the words above the door, Kalmiya quickly translating the text. _Testing Chamber_. John gave a look at Kalmiya, her hologram up and about once more. Having already heard the question in his head, she stated, "Going through there will be a longer route to the core, but it'll still be available."

Nodding, John gestured at the soldiers behind him, going through the closed doors within the moment's notice. Fingers caressing their weapons' triggers, they scanned every bit of the far narrower hallway. Several doors were to the sides of the hallway, each one with a long, black screen above the windows. Walking by them, Kalmiya lit the screens up, showing them a series of names they read as they walked through. Ranging from 'weapon prototypes' to 'biological enhancements', the AI gestured for them to keep going until she scanned something of interest. It was her that stopped them when they came up to an unusually large door that read only 'classified'. "_Maybe it's got something to do with the weird substance in the other room_."

Sam and Jaime positioning themselves at each side of the four meter door, the other Spartans aimed directly at the door itself, ready to contain whatever could come out. The moment it did, they were surprised to find the corpses of several half nude people. They weren't sure if it was their own prisoners, but seeing a few Humans amongst the bodies cleared up any doubts. Entering, they found themselves disturbed at the maimed bodies. Eyes blindfolded, mouths gagged and hands and feet chained to the wall, they looked like they'd been executed. What the difference was that rather than the blackened skin that plasma produced, their chests had been burnt off, exposing their ribcages. Some were burnt off entirely, showing damaged and partially disintegrated organs, others looked like a few drops had only managed to burn the arteries connected directly to the heart.

The very edge of their burnt off skin was a sickly green, partially molten off. The same sickly green that they'd found in the previous hall. With no doubts left, John sternly ordered, "Let's get to the power core. We've seen enough. If there's a Covie group nearby, kill all but one. We'll need him for interrogation."

They nodded, leaving the room of dead SA troops when Kelly asked, "Chieftain Lieutenant Amadeus is the smartest of his kind, right Kalmiya?"

"_Basically_. _Something of a young prodigy_. _One of the few, if not the only scientist on par with the San'Shyuum engineers that's a Jiralhanae_."

"Let me guess, being a Jiralhanae and all, I'm guessing he's a weapons expert?"

"_Ironically no, he's all but_. _Sure, his works can be weaponized but that isn't his specialty_."

"Then what is his specialty?"

"_Biology_."

**13:28 – November 29****th****, 2535 – High Charity Council Chambers**

"Damn it all, how many times must I say it? The Sangheili need to be punished and demoted down to the ranks of the other species for the Arbiter's absolute greatest failure! Such a failure borders the line between weakness and heresy! We nearly had an army lent to us by the _Gods_ themselves, and that righteous _imbecile_ managed-"

"We are in no time to be picky, Regret. We haven't been in these past few years and we won't be for a long time to come. We've been losing homeworlds in these past few years, and I doubt that our enemies shall let up. In another scenario, had we had troops to spare and our enemies been fewer, then I would agree with you. However, that is not the case and we are constantly head to head in this war against both heresy and demons. Some would even say that they are in favor where we are not, which is why we cannot risk having the Sangheili secede from the Covenant. Asides, we've already decommissioned their Ulgethon for our own uses and purposes. I am sure they've learned their lesson."

Truth sighed as he finally managed to dissuade the younger Prophet from his extremist points of views for the day as he placed his face in his hands. Hearing of the Arbiter's failed attempt at claiming Armageddon had struck their nerves quite badly, the only ones being equally or more angered than them being the Sangheili society itself. He hadn't been surprised to hear of a form of satisfaction from the species when they were made aware of his death, most considering him a stain in their society. Still, Regret had been at the subject for months, years even and no matter how many times Truth talked him out of his mindset, they always ended up having the same discussion. Mercy had been a little rough about the subject at first, but he came around to see things from his perspective. That, however, did not mean the elder Prophet would aid him when dissuading Regret. Recently claiming Ulgethon as theirs however, one of the Sangheili's most important worlds when it came to historical and strategic value, had helped tame the erratic Prophet.

Their talk and anything more that might have been added to the subject was interrupted when the doors opened to the chamber, allowing a crimson armored Jiralhanae through. Without his helmet on, the three Prophets could see the lack of emotions in his once bright golden eyes. They'd remained the same color, but there was no longer the hope and goodwill they had had before. The only sign that there had once been a soul lighting them there was the sheer determination still present in them. The Lieutenant was quick to go before them, a dutiful bow to show his ever-present respect for the high Prophets. He stood straight once more, awaiting the incentive from the Prophets to allow him to speak.

"So, it seems that there has been major success in your works, Lieutenant." Truth remarked with a proud smile on his face. Amadeus simply looked at him, not even a shred of pride in accomplishment taking place in his eyes. "It took years, Hierarchs, but the two projects triumphed more than well enough. The derelict ship we found a few years ago truly was a mine of wealth in power, and now it will surely turn the tides of this war in our favor. The 'Element Zero' has been implemented quite successfully on the adult volunteers. Mayhap if we had not the technology we'd have needed children to find the way to have the matter render its powers on them, but the extensive medical research the San'Shyuum have provided has allowed me to use it on already experienced and loyal warriors. Later on it may be implemented on our technology by providing secondary power cores for our ships or to create cheaper troop shields to be spread out amongst all ranks. But in the meantime, the Element receptive warriors will suffice.

"Both the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae are good receptors, some making great use of the abilities given by the subject, others hardly managing anything with them. They cover all the aspects and abilities the element has given well enough, but they have no true specialties. The Jiralhanae have better coverage over the blunter and overall larger attacks while the Sangheili are better at the smaller and more accurate uses. Either ways, the employment has not been lethal to either.

"The Kig-Yar have been rare and few, but they are more prone to using 'Element Zero' exceptionally well. Like their species, their uses are more thorough and precise, far more so than a Sangheili's, making them very lethal opponents. The downside is that more than half of the volunteers die from the amount of power the element exerts into their bodies.

"Yanme'e are all 'Element Zero' receptive, but in very small amounts. Maybe they can levitate a gun at most alone, but nothing more. However, should an entire hive have its units equipped with the matter, then it is very much possible that a collective use from the faction could prove to be powerful in many ways. Further research will be required for me to give more definitive answers.

"The Lekgolo are a unique and difficult case. Their amount of Element exertion are minimal, mainly because it needs to be implemented to every Lekgolo worm, similar to how the Element is implanted in Yanme'e. Though planting 'Element Zero' in a Mgalekgolo and all of its worms would be less expensive than a Yanme'e hive, it would likely still prove to be too costly for one unit and perhaps not worth the power. A Neurnlekgolo, however, could be another subject, given their mastery when it comes to many forms of combat.

"Last come the Unggoy, quite ironically the best receptor species of all. Being naturally light of weight, they can levitate themselves quite easily and pump as much power as a regular Sangheili or Jiralhanae. The main difference is, where about twenty percent of Sangheili and Jiralhanae volunteers are successful at assimilating the element, the Unggoy have shown a full hundred percent. Still, they are the weakest kind the Covenant has to offer and not too many funds should be placed onto making their warriors 'Biotics'."

"'Biotics'?"

"That's what the Queen's knowledge called Element Zero wielders."

"Then your second project has indeed been successful."

"With the aid of the submission apparatus, yes, it has. With their Queen under control, her children now fall into our command. They are formidable and durable, there is no doubt in my mind that the Rachni will soon become an invaluable asset. I am sure they will prove themselves very well in today's ambush."

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**TURN DOWN FOR WHAT. This, ladies and gentlemen, I've been waiting for too many damn months. Everytime someone's asked of when an ME race is coming up, I was thinking about this. We all know that in the ME games, a hella lot of people save the Queen, and in the crossover fanfics, Rachni are allies of the UNSC-Covenant alliance because their queen was saved by a UNSC trained Shepard, but this was the best way I thought they would fit. Other than that is the E-Zero powers that the Covies now have, thanks to the submissive Queen. So there you have it. We've finally reached the mark where it's made official that this is a crossover between two amazing futuristic games. I'm happy with myself for this. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've had writing it, and any and all reviews and critics are welcome.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Notes: Ladies and gentlemen, I've returned from the dead and the royally fucked. This final term has been unforgiving, and I give you my word that this time I've really had no time to write a new chapter. What little time I had to write and what little I did write was nothing short of worthless given the fact that my computer broke down and died (I shit you not, I would have had this chapter ready a week or two ago). Well, I figured I'd post a chapter before my finals start (I've finished everything else), and before the computer I'm writing this chapter on breaks down too (it's getting worse and for a second I thought all of my work had gone in vain again). But through the fire and flames, this chapter has made it through, and I now present this to you all as the long awaited continuation to the previous one. I hope this gives a more fulfilling close, and if it makes you all feel better, I've placed my other two stories on hiatus in order to focus on this one. Grind a few more chapters out.**

**Now then, the other thing I wanted to say was a HUGE thank you to my sister who's done the cover for this story. As in, the kickass artwork of Taurus's face that is now this story's cover art was done by her, and her I have to thank for doing such an awesome job at it. That alone is probably what motivated me to retry making this chapter after the first laptop broke down. Well, I hope you enjoy, this isn't my longest chapter (7.6K words), but I did work hard to bring it to you guys. Without futher ado, enjoy.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Rachni**

**22:43 – November 29th, 2535 – Ulgethon Central Base Command Center**

Silence filled the empty room, free from the disturbance from sound as the monitors that thrived in it had long ago been shut down, allowing the quiet atmosphere to prevail. Its dormant state ended, as the door lit up with life, giving entrance to several armor-clad intruders. Their colors ranged from the deep violet that engulfed two to the crimson that protected the other four. Amongst the four in the blood-colored armors, with unspoken resolve one of the two walked towards the long-dead monitors. He gave a small heave of breath, attempting to keep his nerves from being strained as he looked at the still blackened screens.

"It is of no use. The machinery shan't work. We need power to light it. We ought to be thankful for our lack of enemies, however. There are none using the functions this room offers." Ceretus turned his head back to the group, the five nodding. Gargantus boomed, "Hells, that's because this room has no functions to offer! You couldn't even jack off right with such shitty lighting, _ha_!"

The group chuckled at his remarked, Taurus following up, "That's how I know you've never sought women's company, Gargantus. Any man worthy of his prick could masturbate in a dim room. Only you would be so aroused and eager at the sight of a cock."

They cackled, Gargantus's barks of laughter ironically being the loudest. For a second, the six looked around the room, looking for something worthwhile before taking their leave. Ceretus's eyes caught the sight of something at one of the uppermost corners of the room, the right frontal one, precisely.

**22:46 – November 29th, 2535 – Ulgethon Central Base First Vault**

[_"-be so aroused and eager at the sight of a cock." The group of armored Jiralhanae laughed, searching the room a final time before readying to leave. A crimson coated with a curious hue of violet for his visor looked directly forward before mentioning to the others. "We are all but alone, keep guard, for I am sure this shan't be the last camera to trace our paths."_]

The signal was soon cut off when Ceretus shot directly at the camera with the Spiker he had holstered. Though the camera was offline, the audio continued as Ceretus continued to talk, "_The Spartans are likely looking for the power core, so we may return to this room later when it may be of use. For now, the best course of action ought to be to head off to the levels below, where we shall be able to settle the curiosities and doubts our Intel has regarded_."

Another crimson armored Jiralhanae stood paralyzed at the sight and sound of the scene, a rather large group of heavily reinforced subordinates looking at him in question. "He was right. They've truly arrived…"

"Sir, should we send the swarm upon the heretics? Perhaps they should get a taste of our new workers." One of the group in his deep blue shell suggested to the Chieftain with an evil grin under his helm. The leader turned, a cruel snarl on his face. "Are you an imbecile or just soft in the head?"

"N-no, sir, I only thought we-" The Major hardly got to say anymore as he was interrupted by the Lieutenant. "These are _my_ kin, brainwashed by those puny little fucks we call 'demons'. We shall take them back alive and well to show them the truth so they may repent and return to us, and they shall bolster our ranks in our war against this heresy. Speak like that of them again and I shall make you wear your intestines like chains, and I know very fucking well how. Do you understand?"

"YES, SIR!" The major roared, knowing the first discernible sign of terror in him wrought by Lieutenant Maladus would surely be received by the Chieftain with rage, likely to be called a coward and be punished for it. The crimson coated warrior unholstered a large, pristine white, Forerunner-crafted mace properly named '_Rancor_' as he roared to the commando, "All troops, split into two and go to your stations! My group shall aid me in incapacitating and capturing Chieftain Captain Taurus's squad! Any lethal shots I'll consider as treason and believe me that no Hells shall prepare you for the penance I can and _will_ give! The second group shall lead the Rachni and capture or kill the Spartans!"

The Jiralhanae scurried as they split into two groups, one following the anger-driven warrior while the others headed towards where the army of very large insectoids waited.

**23:01 – November 29th, 2535 – Ulgethon Central Base Second Level**

_He watched her long, flowing hair as it danced with the winds, her back turned to him. She turned to his sitting form, towering over him as she looked at him with warmth in her smile. He returned to his sand castle, eagerly using his set of toys to make the tower higher before a wave washed it away. He still smiled, using the wet sand to rebuild the miniature fort. It wasn't long before he felt his head tickled, her long hair soon overlapping his in a shade of chocolate brown, not quite dissimilar from her eyes. He watched her once more, brown eyes meeting smaller brown eyes._

"_John…" She crooned, running a very soft hand that engulfed the right half of his face, caressing his cheek sweetly as it did. Once more she opened her mouth. "John…"_

_Her smile began to falter, pain evident as tears began to stroll from her eyes. "John."_

_Once gentle and caring, the hand began to grip harshly, pain and fear spreading to his face as he failed to understand her sudden distress. His eyes began to look in fear as a bruise coated with blood appeared on the upper right corner of her face, a small trail of blood accompanying the two transparent ones originating from her eyes. "John."_

_He backed away unwillingly from her reach, soon wanting to return when he realized a black silhouette of a man grabbed his arm, two others grabbing the woman by her side. "John!"_

_She began to bleed between her legs. Her scream cast echoes within the rims of his mind. _

"_JOHN!"_

"John."

He realized he had been standing for perhaps one too many minutes in the same spot, far longer than a Spartan should ever remain inactive. He blinked twice before he realized he'd stopped walking and simply stood still. Perhaps it was because one of the test subjects for the acidic weapons had looked similar to the woman in his waking dream. Or memory. Or hallucination. He didn't know which it was, and whereas he wasn't sure what the dream woman's connection to him was, he was sure he had never seen the victim before. Whatever the matter with him was, he knew it hardly mattered. There was much to do and investigate, and now more than ever, it was his duty as a Spartan to stand strong for Humanity and its allies.

"I'm fine, we need to keep moving." He responded curtly. He wasn't sure who it was that called his name, but it didn't matter. All helmets equal to his own had faced him, a serious sign of his short amount of idleness, but far too long for the Super Soldier. "_John, your readings aren_'_t checking up right_._ You_'_ve got a pretty large amount of brainwaves originating from all types of sensorial sectors_._ Did anyone implant anything on you that may have caused you to remember any repressed memories or hallucinate_?"

"No, I would have been aware of it." He assured his helmet's speakers were off, preferring his brethren not to listen to the quick and brief analysis he received. "_Hm_… _from what I can see_, _the visions along with everything that you felt indicate signs of_… _trauma_."

It was silent within his head for a few seconds, either because she was courteously waiting for him to speak more on the subject or because she was truly hesitating to pry further than that. He gave a slight shake of his head murmuring, "Now's not the time for a checkup. We'll continue this after the mission is over."

A near inaudible sigh in his speakers indicated the AI's defeated attitude. "_Agreed_, _we_'_ll put this on hold for now_._ In the meantime_, _we need to get to the bottom of all of this_. _There are one to many wrongs here to say this place has been abandoned_, _and there_'_s too much we don_'_t know to say what we should do_. _Let_'_s stick to getting to the generator and then we_'_ll hunt for info here_."

He nodded, walking ahead of the group as he prepped his weapon, awaiting for the door before him to open up to the base's training grounds, where they'd heard the noises originating from. All was silent as they looked at the room of three levels, mostly open save for several barricades which they presumed would be utilized for practice. The room had several platforms to dissect it into the three floors. While there wasn't much inside the large place, being hollow and allowing people to shoot from any of the three floors at anyone else on the other three floors, there were two large circular platforms within the middle that connected them with the floors above and below them along with the entrances and exits to the place. John looked forth as one of the ramps before him connected to the platform at his level, at the first floor's ground and the third connecting to the upmost platform.

"_Alright_, _Blue Team_, _head back to the first level_. _The route to the power core should be opposite from where you stand_." Kalmiya's voiced echoed in their helms. All winked green as John took the lead, their heavy boots hardly breaking the silence that plagued empty base. On the first floor and now underneath the second floor's middle platform, serving as a circular ceiling of the sorts, they heard noises again. It did not take half a second for the group to raise their weapons, aiming at whatever was approaching their position.

It wasn't long until they heard several resounding thuds originating from the uppermost level of the training hall. They kept their weapons ready, a good few of them pointing at where the ramps heading towards them were, expecting the unknowns to walk through them. They didn't expect them to drop directly from the third floor and unto the first, much less survive the impact. Before they shot, all their helmets' flashlights illuminated the creatures, standing in silent shock at the unique life forms. They were at the very least five feet tall, but unlike the Unggoy, they were thick to say the least. A red shell covered their forms, four legs sustaining them along with two smaller arms that looked to have a fair amount of dexterity from how thin the appendages and 'hands' were. A pair of large, flexible appendages was kept high at all times, ready to strike at the group. Two large, black eyes were situated on their narrow heads with a mouth that remained open in several directions. The last notable parts of the creatures were two pairs of antennae situated on their heads, likely serving for scent and hearing.

An eerie screech from the group of the ten large insectoids was more than enough for soldiers to understand their hostility and shoot. For every two shots fired from his Assault Rifle, one bullet pierced the armored hides while the other bounced. Nevertheless, the rate given by Kalmiya did not stop him from aiming at the head of one of the group that had gotten too close for comfort. It gave one final agonized shriek before falling dead, not getting to use its dual, claw-like arms against the lot. As Sam let out a rocket, the enemy it headed towards let out two short bursts of a bizarre green liquid from its maw. Sam was hit as well as his friend and leader, both who were shocked at the damage caused by the substance.

"_It_'_ll take more than one shot to bring your shields down_,_ but I have to admit this is a corrosive substance I never thought a species could have_. _I guess the mystery of that green substance has been solved_, _as well as the test subjects_'. _Keep your guard up and try to give them as little room as you can for them to shoot you_. _You should be able to outmaneuver them_, _they don_'_t seem like they_'_re part a particularly intelligent race_." John nodded at Kalmiya, and though he knew his Spartans' shields as well as his own were amongst the most resilient to date, the acid managed to cause half as much damage as a sniper round. Fortunately for them, they could take up to three shots from the precise weapons. Unfortunately for them, the corrosive substance continued to make their protective barriers bleed slightly before allowing them to regenerate.

Outnumbered and outgunned, the members of the strange, new alien race fell quickly, but not before they made sure the Super Soldiers knew that they would not go down without putting up a good fight. John's shields, still not recharging with the small decay set by the corrosive element, began to power up once more when one of the doors to the first floors opened to a rather large group of Jiralhanae. Deep blue coating made the Spartans aware of their ranks as average Lieutenants, and yet, something seemed off about them. They immediately took cover from the dozen and a half brutes along with plenty of the new species, the insectoid vanguard from before apparently not having been the last of the force. For every one of the giant apes aiming their weapons at them were four of the red-shelled foes.

Before any one of the Covies could utter a word, John ordered through the comms, "_Get to cover_."

Jumping and rolling out of the way, they ended up in groups of three behind the larger of the barriers and barricades, the only things keeping them safe from the large amount of opponents. Sierra-117 started to formulate the closest thing that came to be an idea, signaling for the others to whip out and launch their grenades. The collateral damage made by the miniature explosives was enough to take out twenty of the acid-spitting foes, their leaders staying back and letting the grubs take the losses. Some through pot shots, others through heavy fire, it had hardly mattered how they had died. The bodies of the deceased insectoids littered the ground, leaving less ways for the Jiralhanae to cover themselves.

Jaime, one of the three behind the same barrier as John, fired a missile towards one of the savages that had separated from the group. Satisfied with the kill, she started reloading when she saw the smoke clearing. To the shock and dismay of the Spartans, the Covie, whose shields had been depleted, was now surrounded by a thick blue aura. His Spikers, lost and closer to the Super Soldiers' half of the field, were regained when the same blue aura surrounded them and levitated them back to his glowing hands. All Spartans quickly took cover again, killing a few more of their underlings before doing so. At this point, John did not know whether Kalmiya was fascinated, distraught, or at loss for words at the sight of their enemies' enhancements.

"_Ok, this is just getting crazy_. _The acid-spitting bugs I can understand, but I can't even begin to imagine what the Covenant had to do to give their troops this much firepower_. _It's not that I can't imagine it, it's that there are hundreds of different ways this could have been done_, _some of which are far too unlikely to be done and some that are just too many centuries ahead of our league_. _The strangest thing about it all is that it doesn_'_t seem like it's mechanic_, '_cause we should be able to levitate guns with a form of magnetism_,_ but that would be too costly and would require all weapons to be decommissioned and replaced_. _The same with the way he protected himself_, _it could be a shield boost_,_ but again_,_ it would probably take a lot of resources unless they_'_re giving it to specialized units_. _The strangest thing about it all is that they seem to be doing it BIOLOGICALLY_, _which would imply that they_'_ve_ _mastered psychokinesis in a matter of months as well as a drastic amount of an unknown type of energy manipulation_."

"Then when we complete our objective, we'll report to HIGHCOM so they can get inform the rest of the SA. For now, the best we can do is continue to study their capacities as well as learn more of the new species they've recruited." John spoke through the comms, keeping a level head through it all. It wasn't long before he heard a roar of an order from one of the armored brutes. "Push forward, damn you! Rachni, kill the demons if you do not want your arms to be served in our victory feast!"

"_Rachni_. _Well_, _at least we know something about them now_." John payed her comment almost no mind at the sight of the now screeching and advancing troops. A few more signals to the Spartans and they all emptied their magazines against the imminent wall of 'Rachni'. While the leaders of the platoon managed to get a few shots through, the tide evened when the insectoids fell, the corpses littering the otherwise pristine ground. With the bulk of the rather strong infantry gone, the Spartans finally took a more offensive approach against the powered Jiralhanae.

John ran from cover, firing his Assault Rifles ammunition at one of the group before the giant formed a blue hue of a barrier to protect himself, leading the Spartan to grab a plasma grenade mid-roll and stick him. He remained surprised at the strength of his enemy's energy, for the brute held, though his weapon was no longer in his hand. The leader of Blue Team took this to his advantage, grabbing the bladed launcher flying in his direction. Not even needing to reload, he fired a barrage of grenades at the mutant, energy now depleted and energy shields soon following. Finally, the ape fell, his crimson blood staining the ground while still emitting a strange blue hue of color, making it only slightly more violet.

Looking around him, his Spartans had taken on one each, some having to outmaneuver the additional three. Said three, spared from the enemy fire, roared as they threw their weapons aside, immediately being consumed by their berserker-like states. Their auras, once a cobalt blue, were now between azure and mauve, a color much darker and intense than it had previously been. Sprinting on all fours, one of them punched the ground with all his might when a few of the Super Soldiers closed in on him to terminate him, ending in a powerful shockwave that sent them all flying back.

"Fire everything you have at them. Do not engage them in close quarter combat unless no other alternative is available. Fire all weapons at them." At John's order, the storm of bullets and missiles of the fifteen quickly overcame the three enraged brutes, their boosted, adrenaline-induced energies not being anywhere near strong enough to take so many hits. They fell, the Spartans carefully but briskly moving closer to inspect the bodies. To Kalmiya's curiosity and frustration, they found no visible physiological differences from the average Jiralhanae, meaning it would be harder to tell apart the new, specialized units in battle until they showed their true colors. Shaking his head at the corpses, he tilted his head towards the group. "We're likely going to meet more resistance along the way. Don't let your guards down."

All winked green and he led the way, finally going through the door opposite to the one where the Jiralhanae had gone through. The pathway was dark, but their flashlights helped illuminate the words above, soon decrypted to read 'Power Core Route' along with an arrow underneath, leading for the Super Soldiers to take a faster pace than the one they'd kept for their time exploring the place.

**23:30 – November 29th, 2535 – Ulgethon Central Base Vaults Route**

Taurus couldn't help but feel the sinking feeling that they were being watched. Basically because it was true, Ceretus made that much clear, but doubts still plagued his mind. On almost any other occasion, countless foes would have stormed their way through the base towards them. Silence, however, was their only other companion. He knew that they could be and _would be_ struck with an ambush at any second, but neither the shots nor the foes came. They were either waiting for his group to enter the right place or attack them at the right time. It gave an unnerving feel of paranoia to the group of six. The fact that they had lost contact with the Spartans didn't aid their current conditions. It wasn't that they thought that they had been killed or captured, but rather the fact that a jammer could prevent the communication required to escape. And now they headed towards the source, walking further down the metallic stairs as they hoped to find the source of interference.

Tartarus growled, prompting the five to look at him. His scent, similar in accuracy to Lydus's and Ceretus's, had likely picked something up, the younger sibling deduced. The violet armored, orange eyed Chieftain gave a nod of the head, motioning them to continue downwards. Hands on all weapons, the six took aim at the pitch black, rectangular hall. Whereas the upper levels had at least offered a faint source of light, most of those had been broken in the lowest level that kept the Vaults. Taurus remembered hearing rumors from these places. It was said that each room held something of vast importance to the Sangheili race, from estimates of the first time their race learned to walk and the history that followed, to records of where even their pristine sense of honor was abandoned to accomplish the tasks they had set themselves to do. Something that the Prophets would later ask and expect from their kind.

Ceretus took point, heading towards the end of the ominous, empty hall, his grip on his Spikers never faltering. The First Vault, the large, underground center that led to all the other Vaults. Nearing the entrance, he found himself taking a short, deep breath, readying himself for what he knew was on the other side. Signaling for the others to step out of the way, he walked side by side with his brother, both wielding Brute Shots. A look they gave to each other and then a nod, perfectly synchronized in action and ideas in spite of the fact that they could not look to the other's eyes. Now in front of the small gate, they raised their armored boots and slammed them against the gate. They did not hesitate, even without getting to look at what was inside. Though another might have said that emptying a clip full dozen grenades would be too much from two, their deduction had proved them right.

All twelve grenades had produced a collective screeching that not one of the six could recognize, their flashlights giving them only a few glances at the members of a species of red and green. Almost immediately, they were bombarded with a shower of green acid coming from the direction of eerie unknowns. Shields taking damage and soon giving the warning signs, they kept on shooting until they were the only ones left breathing. Once more, the room was only partially lit with their helmets' features, allowing them to take a closer look at the creatures. Ceretus was the first to find one of the less damage yet still deceased aliens, making it stand upwards to take a closer look upon its features.

They hardly said much about it, simply looking at it, taking note only at the long claws which likely served for cutting much and hitting hard. Then there was the mouth, still a bit of acidic drool running down its face and dropping onto the armored body, which remained unburnt. Ceretus gave Samallix a simple stare. Wordlessly, she unsheathed a white dagger, exact in all but name to Taurus's _Vengeance_. Her _Retribution_ had been the twin blade to his own, and once he wielded both, but he gave her one of them once he knew of the love he bore for her like one of his own hearts.

Once Ceretus took it in his hand, he proceeded to open the insectoid from the gut, finding a large, neon-green sack along with the other organs he'd grown accustomed to recognizing. A soft, simple slash at it with the tip of the dagger and the sack was open, spilling out a large enough amount of its contents for them all to back away. Wordlessly, Ceretus shook off the bits and pieces that had gotten stuck to the blade, none burning through the Forerunner alloy, and returned it to its owner. "We ought to not have sung victory so soon with the Covenant retreating from their strongholds, for they have likely been recovering and increasing their strength since their more recent defeats. This much we can see with the newest addition to their ranks. Bits and pieces of rumors and Intel here and there have spoken of a rather strange project entitled 'Rachni'. Mayhap that may be the name this race has or was given by the Hierarchs, for I doubt that they know not of their existence."

"Aye, if any shit slingers in this galaxy knew of a new race to enslave and brainwash, it'd be the fuckin' Prophets." Bracktanus backed his fellow Lieutenant, tempted to spit on the corpse were his helmet not in the way.

"Well, what do you expect? With those long dangly arms made only for shit throwing, they were bound to spend their time tricking others into shoving it for them. Ha!" His impertinence gaining more chuckles from the group, it was Samallix that intervened next. "Whatever it is, we best keep moving and understand what has happened here. We cannot abandon the mission nor can we stay on this spot, so we're better off unraveling the how, where and why of these 'Rachni's' annexation to the Covenant's assets."

"Always so objective, Samallix. You need to loosen up some more and take away the strain that seals your cunt." At the sound of her bond-mate's sly remark, she began to laugh rather than fume. "Is that so, Taurus? Have you already forgotten your submissiveness and lack of mobility the last time we'd lain together, or need I remind you?"

"Please, do remind me. My memory is nothing short of shit and continues to fail me whenever I try to remember such things. I'll have you know that words are nearly ineffective when compared to actions in the sense of reminiscing past days, and I've yet to have a mid-mission fuck." They laughed harder at his cunningness, the concepts of shame and discretion being foreign to the Chieftain Captain. Tartarus intervened, "I, for one, have no interest in seeing you in the clothes you were born with, Taurus. Whatever you may want to do can wait, especially now more than ever with just how much we've advanced. I swore revenge upon the Hierarchs the day I learned of their lies, and I intend to kill them myself. We gain nothing standing around, mocking about with our thumbs up our asses."

With that, the mauve coated Jiralhanae moved forwards, his quick departure making the others follow, but not before Taurus pulled Samallix into a brief hug with the words 'you complete me'. They continued walking through the dark corridor, realizing that they were not yet at the First Vault. Nearing the next door, their radars now entirely rendered useless, the group was now well aware that the interference came from the other side.

The next minutes became nothing short of a hell to them, not having expected the defenses as reinforced and the place as manned as it was. But, there they'd been, in front of the army of Jiralhanae and Rachni to be shot at, the adversaries of their kind holding a power entirely remote to their extensive knowledge of their enemies. One way or another Tartarus ended up wielding his Forerunner broadsword _Wrath_, slightly thicker than and twice as long as his brother's dagger, cleaving through the vast amount of enemies. Even the powerful shields gave in to the Forerunner crafted weapon, the metal's composition capable of ignoring the energy that surrounded his foes, be it through cutting them in half or blocking shots aimed at its wielder.

Bracktanus's double headed axe '_Slaughter_' held the same effect as his the weapon of his superior's brother, also being equally as large. Gargantus stuck to his halberd '_Triumph_', being the largest of the weapons at a full two and a half meters' length, having the advantage over his enemies of size, strength and speed. Though from the start the group had chosen a close quarter battle against enemies wielding longer ranged weapons, they stood victorious over the pile of corpses generated by their far-reaching amount of experience in fighting and warcraft.

They spoke hurriedly, their conversation having an undertone of intrigue and worry. While the specialist commandos had not been enough to take the six down, they knew more than well enough that it had been so many years of training that allowed them to never lose against the rising odds. One way or another, they settled on destroying the cause of their interference and came up before the thick, violet device. As tall as Gargantus and thick as a Wraith, Bracktanus chose to hack at it with his axe, breaking through it in a matter of three swings. The group jumped and rolled back, the cobalt explosion lighting up the rather dark room as their armor's systems worked well once more. Not long after, the room lit up with bright new lights, white and pristine, originating from the ceilings light.

"_Chief_…_rus_…_just_… _up the power core_. _The base should be fully operational_. _What_'_s your status_, _sir_?" The azure-eyed Chieftain could recognize the baritone voice well enough to know it pertained to the leader of the Spartan Blue Team. "Spartan, now that I see clearly, I won't have to trip over our enemies' shitstains every three steps I take, so I thank you for that. I would have contacted you to make you aware of the Covenant's new, prodigal children, with that blue aura probably being something along the lines of 'company from the divine spirits'. Then there're oversized grubs with mouths too big for their own good that likely learned from my kind to spit on their foes.

"In honesty, I hadn't the chance to radio you with the signal restricted by one of our friends' favorite toys to play with. The jammer's destroyed, and I'm guessing that you've already encountered the cocksmiths yourselves, so I'll spare you the details. Head outside the base and secure the exit. Worse comes to worst, radio a Phantom or two to pick you all up and head back to the ships. We'll take care of the info this place has to give, however unlikely its existence is. This was likely a trap set up against us, so there may be nothing to gain from this, except our own records of our fights against the Rachni and the power-wielding brutes."

"_Understood_. _Sir_, _keep your guards up_. _We encountered a Chieftain Lieutenant with the same psychokinetic abilities as the specialized Jiralhanae_. _We were unable to identify him_, _and he nearly had one of our own killed_, _but he left as soon as we recovered and we were unable to eliminate him_. _He could be after you_."

"He likely is, Spartan. I can't help but wonder who was miserable enough to be sent by the Prophets on such a suicide mission."

"_Sir_, _is there a chance he was a part of your original squads_?" The group remained silent at that, Bracktanus growling at the suggestion and more at from whom it came from. Taurus snapped out of his short trance and quickly responded, "I doubt it. The Prophets may be cunning fuckers when it comes to manipulating others, but they know that our kin have too many ties with us that would make them hesitate. Sending one of them against six of us would likely end up with us convincing him to come to our aid. If we come across the Lieutenant, we'll kill him and leave the Covenant to find who the hell will replace him. In the meantime, focus on leaving the damned infected base."

"_Yes_, _sir_." The comms went silent, and for a few seconds, the six stood and pondered over the soldier's suggestion. Gargantus, his voice for once riddled with wariness and uncertainty, murmured, "You don't think…"

"It's a possibility, to be sure, so we're better off not discarding it. Let us hope it is not so, and that today we won't have to meet our brothers in the battlefield once again." Samallix interrupted, not wanting to talk more on the subject than she already was. Tartarus continued for her. "But if it is the case, then we shall find a way to knock him out and bring him with us. He may try to dissuade us by talking of 'The Great Journey', but unfortunately for him and for us, we have the truth on our side."

With that, the group fell silent, the only thing disturbing the rare serenity of the situation being a few stranded warriors here and there or a group of grubs awaiting them in another room. It was not until they reached the room where they had started at that they finally remained undisturbed. Bracktanus walked idly towards the screens again, all of them black but ready to be activated. The smartest of the group found the power button, soon beginning to type decryption keys to be able to read the contents the consoles had to offer. It took several minutes, and much to the dismay of the group, he turned around and grunted, "There's nothing. This place is but a finely rigged trap. The time we've wasted was for naught."

The elder of the two brothers sighed, as sword wielding Captain stated, "With the amount of surprise attacks placed here, this was to be expected. Though I had been hoping a touch of arrogance would have prevented them from erasing the files, after a-"

His words were cut midway as the alarms blared, making the six's eyes widen in shock and confusion. Ceretus immediately pounced back onto the system, now looking at the cameras rather than searching for files. The group paled when they saw hordes of hundreds of Rachni swarming through all the bottommost passageways and halls at top speeds, crawling upwards as if the devil himself had sent them to do his work. "Damn it all! I knew shite like this was to be expected from the Covenant, but this is far too much! We ought to barricade ourselves in, prevent them from-"

"NO TIME!" Taurus roared, grabbing him by the arm as well as a shocked Bracktanus, the other three already working their minds to remember the quickest route out. "TAURUS TO THE _BLOODY DAGGER_, I REPEAT, TAURUS TO THE _BLOODY FUCKING DAGGER_! WE ARE BEING OVERRUN BY THOUSANDS OF RACHNI AND WE NEED A PHANTOM OUT HERE _NOW_! WE ARE HEADING TO THE UPMOST LEVEL OF THE BASE! SEND TWO MORE FOR THE SPARTANS AT THE MAIN GATE!"

His orders, not in the most precise order, managed to get through and the Captain knew he'd heard an affirmative response, but he had long since tuned out anything his hearing might process save for the clicking limbs and screeching mouths of the insectoids' horde. Once more, the group wielded their hand to hand weapons, knowing they would only waste ammunition trying to repel the massive groups heading from all directions. At the second level, they ran towards the practice room, where they remembered that the Spartans had passed through and ran upwards. By the time they had gotten to the third and final floor, they saw the first floor's metallic gray bottom entirely hidden by red shells, so many of the aliens swarming the area that not a batch of the reflective metal was to be seen.

The second they had wasted doing that was small and short, immediately forcing themselves through the first door they could find. Taurus finally found it in himself to listen to the comms, finding a guardian savior to be guiding him. "Chieftain Captains and Lieutenants, this is Human AI unit Kalmiya. I need you all to listen to me and listen fast, 'cause you don't have much time and I still have in my archives a functioning map of this base!"

Taurus was about to make a stressed remark, his armor's cooled temperatures preventing sweat from forming on his face, but immediately heard her voice again, "Next corridor to the left, take the stairs at the right end and keep going forwards!"

The group ran, knowing that if either made a mistake or decided to betray them, they were as good as dead. And yet, considering they had no sense of direction in the ancient stronghold and standing in place was not an option, she was the only thing that could save them from the dire situation. And so they ran, each time hearing the distinctive clicking and screeching more and more. For a second, Taurus could have sworn he could smell the acid from where he ran. One way or another, a few scares and a few near-wrong turns had left the group stressed beyond words, adrenaline being the only fuel left that they ran on, they finally made their way to the top. Finally making it out, they ran to the center, where the platforms had been a bit more raised, soon realizing they were the landing pads.

Making it to the roof's midpoint, the six stood in a circle facing different directions, all back to back. They heard screeching from under, knowing that soon the Rachni would crawl their way to where they stood their last stand. Taurus, in the midst of the uncertainty and danger in the situation, began, "Brothers, Samallix, before we begin this hellfest of a brawl, if worse comes to worst…"

"Hey! No one's dyin' yet you dumbass! Quit shittin' yourself already!"

"…we sacrifice Bracktanus and make a run for it."

"…"

"Taurus, when we get out of this, I swear on Dossiac that I will kill you and then take a shit on your grave." What had been a deathly silence in the group turned into a roar of laughter at the Captain's mischief and the Lieutenant's fury. After their fit of laughter ended, they were able to hear the screeches that were now only a few meters away. Still in their fighting stances, half the tension had been lost with the short interchange between the two friends, allowing far more level mindsets to take the places of those that had been fear-induced. With a full smile on his face, though none could see it, Tartarus said with a peace in his voice, "Truly, like old times."

"Like old times." The group agreed. Then came the Rachni. Tartarus stood his ground, deflecting acidic shots heading to his form with the magnificent sword, using _Wrath_ to cleave the overgrown claws from those that planned to attack him closely. The three that had lost the large appendices were left screeching, leading Tartarus to stab the one on the left in its torso, pulling the blade from it to hack at the one in the middle. The one on the right jumped at him, him pointing his sword at it, allowing the creature to impale itself upon it. With the blade plunged deeply within the corps, he swung it with all his might to throw the body at two more nearing him, resulting in the two falling on their backs. Before they had the chance to get up, he stabbed them, destroying enough of their organs to render them dead or crippled and out of the fight.

He could not remember how long the fight lasted, how long he'd kept going, sometimes taking care of dozens by himself while other times he teamed up on them with a partner of his group. It hardly mattered, for the welcomed rain of blue, red and violet plasma fell upon their foes, helping clear the never-ending horde far more easily. Levitated within the Phantom, the six fell and sat down, all exhausted from the fight under the harsh conditions. It wasn't long before they heard Taurus move his finger to his earpiece, barely just panting, "Kalmiya… you just saved us… from the dumbest way… we could have died. Mark my words… if I ever find the way to give you an organic body… and turn you to a Jiralhanae… I am going to fuck you 'till my balls run dry."

The statement had gotten him a well-earned slap at the back of his head from Samallix, his bond-mate shaking her head lightly at his antics. That had given them all reason to chuckle, especially Taurus himself, always taking pride in pushing others' buttons the wrong way. Knowing both that he had not truly meant it and that such a possibility would never come true, Kalmiya answered, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass, Sir. Besides the fact that your Lieutenant would probably kill us in our sleep for doing something like that, I doubt I could be turned into an organic in the first place. I've already notified your ship's bridge that you're on your way so they can warm the weapons."

"Good. It's time to destroy that shithole of a base. I'm afraid the Sangheili are going to hang me by my intestines, but I'm sure they'll be relieved to know their prestigious stronghold was destroyed rather than defiled. Don't fire yet. I want see the place and those shitlings burn with my own eyes. Call me sadistic, but after getting ambushed so many times in one day, I need to see for myself that there are no survivors left."

No one argued with him, partially because he was right, and partially, or mostly, because he was one of the two bosses of the operation, the other being his brother. Finally, he reached the northernmost section of the belly, making sure he was as close as he could be to the elevators that would take the lot to the command center of his well renowned ship. Now there, he was happy and excited to order, "Prepare the MAC round, it's time to blow that place to all Seven Hells."

With the alliance between the Humans and the Separatists growing so steadily, there were many trades in technology. Well, for the most part, it had been the latter gifting the former as an apology for the initial part of the war, but soon enough they opened up as well. And now his ship had been amongst the first to receive what had helped the Humans turn so many ship to ship battles in their favor. Their strongest lance. And now he was to test it.

"Preparing the MAC round, Chieftains." One of the ensigns answered. The six looked at the screen, focusing on the base's large and wide rooftop, still filled with now a vast sea of unmoving Rachni, apparently not knowing what to do. That was until they found a small group of Jiralhanae shoving their way through the crowd, trying to make it to the center. The one leading it was coated in crimson, the only color change having been when he used his aura to move several groups of the insectoids that had not moved fast enough.

The moment he'd gotten to the top, he immediately fell into a rage-filled posture, quickly disposing of those under his command as well as several of the insects that had gotten in the way. Taurus shook his head and murmured, "Fire the MAC round."

Before the ensign could speak, the Captain squinted his eyes as the Lieutenant on the screen calmed down, taking off his helmet. The group's eyes widened as they realized who it was that had been down there, watching a single tear stroll from his eye as he mouthed 'my kin'. He looked up to the ship, in realization of what was about to happen. He said nothing, as the six reacted too late to stop the bombardment.

"Firing MAC round." The shot had pierced the right half of the base, and soon a grey cloud of debris had formed around where the screen had watched, hiding the thousands of corpses that had been destroyed or thrown far away from the bombardment. Wide-eyed and unable to process what he had done, Taurus fell on his knees and tore off his helmet, allowing nothing to get in the way of the bile that had erupted from his mouth.

**Author's Notes: Holy hell, it felt good to get this chapter off my chest and my mind. If this story feels like it's taking a slow pace, by all means, I am sorry (trust me, I want to get to the full crossover part more than anyone else), but I can't rush this. I'm slow at writing (though I'm going to try to make myself write faster), and there's a lot I want to cover and give depth to before I start to add the ME Universe to this whole thing. For one, making, good round Jiralhanae characters (and not just bloodthirsty beasts most other fanfics and the games make them out to be) with a good, fitting backstory, as well as explanations here and there of certain places and customs to give depth to the Haloverse species to the level the MEverse species already have. So yeah, that's probably my main reason (as well as character development for several others).**

**Besides that, all those who've finished Game of Thrones, Season 5 and flipped shit at the finale, I feel you, but there's still hope (however small and crazy it may be). Now comes the year-long wait for Season 6. Now then, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, the rather bitter ending for Taurus as he murders another old brother in steel (this time by pure accident), and immediately regrets it. Please review on what you considered worthwhile or what you would have corrected, and constructive critics are welcome too.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Notes: First off, hello everyone! Secondly, thank god for vacations. That's the only reason I'm (sort of) sane right now. Well, last chapter I got very few reviews, but I guess that's the punishment for taking so long. A loyal few have, and I thank them for it, especially a guest without a name (the comment really made my day (also, didn't know girls existed in this part of the site, but I'm glad I'm wrong)). Well, with the finals done and nothing more to do, here is the next chapter.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Eayn's Invasion**

**November 30****th**,** 2535**: The Chieftains and the Spartans board the _Bloody Dagger_ once more, barely escaping the unprecedented enemy encountered within Ulgethon's Central Base. Reports of the 'Rachni' took many in shock, not having expected an entirely new species to be under the Covenant's commands. Coming with just as much shock was the news of Jiralhanae with special 'powers', though presumably all species can wield them, if only at different levels. Amongst the abilities mentioned by the group were psychokinesis and energy manipulation in offensive and defensive forms, amongst several other capabilities. Chieftain Captain Taurus was taken briefly and swiftly to a medic room, where he was diagnosed with shock and a short-lived trauma he received when he'd ordered bombardment upon Ulgethon's Central Base without being aware that Chieftain Lieutenant Maladus's presence within it still. It is believed that the Lieutenant was at the head of the trap and had intents on killing the Spartans and capturing the Chieftains, according to the Blue Team's own accounts.

**December 3****rd**,** 2535**: The _Bloody Dagger_ and the _Retribution_'_s Sword_ returned to the Unyielding Hierophant to report on their enemies' boosts in power within their ranks. By the time they were done, however, many of the colonies bordering with Covenant territory had been reported to have gone dark. Even with the now widespread broadcast to all Alliance strongholds, planets and ships, many were noted to not have received the recent Intel, or rather, were unable to. Several ships have been dispatched in good measure to each of the presumably lost systems.

**December 25****th**,** 2535**: Confirming the SA Leadership's fears, the colonies had been quickly and deftly overrun; traces of the massive number of Rachni inflicted upon the colonies evident, many of the prisoners and the fallen believed to have been eaten by the Covenant's more cannibalistic races. The smaller defensive fleets were noted to have been destroyed, some from within and others from without. Between what was presumed to be the invading fleet's largeness and the amount of soldiers they could have carried, most SA ships succumbed to massive amounts of enemy fire while the rest were boarded and invaded by overwhelming amounts of the insectoids. It has been noted that these 'Rachni' likely do not fear death, being the ones to have directly invaded the control room and cause the ship's havoc while not attempting to escape. A Rachni alone is nowhere near as formidable as a Sangheili, Jiralhanae, a group of Humans, or even a squad of Unggoy. What has notably earned their fearsome status in such short time is their strength in numbers that put the Unggoy's to shame.

**April 10****th**,** 2536**: The Covenant is now attacking colonies not so far away from the SA's reach and attempting to push forwards to the heart of the Alliance. Videos have been captured of the battles against the Hegemony's troops, allowing more information to be gathered on their warrior's capacities and limits. It has been learned that Sangheili are just as compatible and adept with the designated 'Biotic' abilities as the Jiralhanae, as well as common. Unggoy have not been found to have the powers, some theorizing because they are unable to handle such power, a theory crafted from the rare amount of Kig-Yar soldiers possessing the traits. Even rarer are the Yanme'e hives that have its soldiers be 'Biotics', and alone are near useless. Together though, they've been reported to create large, powerful force fields and be able to destroy and even lift up heavy vehicles with ease. Last, but certainly not least are the Raider Biotics, so far only being less than a dozen counted. Though their Hunter counterparts have not been found to share these abilities, the smarter Raiders have become ever more deadly with these new abilities.

**June 14****th**,** 2537**: With a year and a half worth of knowledge on both of the Covenant's new perks, Biotics and Rachni, much has been learned with prisoners captured and bodies examined, dead or alive. Biotics' abilities consist of psychokinesis, singularities, offensive dark energy manipulation, such as the use of warp projectiles and shockwaves, and defensive dark energy manipulation, such as the use of barriers and stasis. Confirming the AI Cortana's initial suspicions, the energy was produced biologically, with the help of a new material identified as 'Element Zero', which must be infused both with the brain and the general muscle tissues. From what little has been studied, it has been speculated that the reason the Element produces as much power in the individuals who possess it is because it makes the host generate dark matter, with which he or she can manipulate the physical properties of his or her surroundings.

As for the Rachni, enemies far easier to decipher, their biological structures were all taken in and recorded to place help understand which places were easier to shoot and where their exoskeletons are weakest. These fit the ranks of 'Soldiers', being numerous and strong without the need of any external weapons or protection. Through several infiltrations, 'Workers' have been found, captured and studied, most being as hostile yet not as deadly as their fighter counterparts. They lack the acidic pouch their brethren have, their claws are not used for close quarters combat but rather for easier manipulation and with more dexterity. Though they have 'armor', they are not nearly as reinforced and are colored a dark green. Other than that, they share the same size and general shape as the Soldiers.

Finally come the 'Warriors', being about twice as large as the Soldiers, much more durable, with dark blue armors and possess Biotic abilities. They are usually sent on the toughest missions or are set to protect the strongholds of most importance. It has been noted that all of these different Rachni do not have any reproductive organs within their anatomies, leaving many to believe that they have a hermaphrodite 'Queen' capable of self-reproduction. Fewer believe that they have a 'King' and 'Queen' as the Yanme'e do, given that these are the rarest anomaly to an insectoid's hierarchy. With all the rounded knowledge, SA troops have been better prepared to face the new lines of opponents while the Leadership formulates and conducts plans to find, capture or eliminate the Rachni 'Queen'.

**October 31****st**,** 2538**: The tides that had started to even with the Covenant's additions against the SA's strong-standing alliance with the Humans have begun to turn in their favor. The Element Zero, which the SA has not found within its territory, has now been reported to have been used as a Covenant ship's secondary or last resort shields. This new addition, though much weaker than its plasma counterpart, has induced the death of many unsuspecting SA fleets, a few stragglers making it out to spread the word. More reports state that now the ammo necessary to take a lone Covie has increased, even if only slightly. This detail has not been lost to the Alliance, given how Sangheili and Jiralhanae now have two levels of shields, the Mgalekgolo can withstand several more shots being given the stronger of the Element Zero shields and the fact that Yanme'e, Unggoy and Kig-Yar won't be eliminated with simple potshots. Now any and all SA Commanders, Captains, and other sorts of military leaders must plan ahead assuming the odds are against them and their ammunitions might not last the entire mission. This has led to a general promotion of a pragmatic attitude the troops should bear, along with the idea of scavenging any and all weapons dropped by the enemies to ensure a lasting weapon throughout the whole of the battle.

**June 6****th**, **2539**: The war has taken a turn for the worst, the SA no longer advantages and being overwhelmed by Covenant forces. Many planets have been glassed, Human and alien alike. Amongst those recognized by the UNSC forces are Jericho VII, Arcadia, Eridanus II, and even Harvest, after having placed as much effort on retaking it as it had. These are several of the names amongst the lost worlds of several more pertaining to Human-held colonies. Those of the other SA species hold similar numbers. The combined impact of all these news and losses has led to a mass demoralization for SA troops, given how much has been destroyed in a mere couple of years. The SA Leadership has attempted to counteract this discouragement by imploring the troops to fight for what they have left. Amongst the only benefits the constant raids have provided are that forces are now far more concentrated and less spread out as they were before, bolstering defenses that may have once been lacking in strength.

**December 3****rd**, **2539**: It's been decided that the most experienced leaders of the Spartan Blue Team, Sierras 117, 019, 053, and 104, along with several members of Red Team, Sierras 042, 120, 130, 052, 111, 010, 039 and 062, are to be rounded for another campaign. They are to be in charge of taking back Eayn, entering the capital with covertness only a few hours before the full armada is to destroy the defending forces. Equipped with the best technology to aid their hidden strike, the dozen of Spartans bear the weight of lowering and deactivating any and all groundside defenses. They are set to leave aboard Captain Keyes's Halcyon-class stealth cruiser the _Pillar of Autumn_, being amongst the ships capable of passing by almost any and all kinds of radars unnoticed.

**05:00 – December 7****th****, 2539 – SWORD Base, New Alexandria Outskirts, Nexus, Reach**

He opened his eyes as soon as the bunk's alarms started. He hopped off his hard bed and immediately filed out along with the rest of his brothers and brethren. Today was the day all their hard, rough training came to culminate. It hardly took him time to reach the armory, even less to put on his suit and marine's armor. Helmetless and all in black, they walked in a line outside, small scowls on their faces letting the world know they'd not forgotten whom they'd lost. Whom they'd avenge. Whom they'd murder. Too young, some would say, for them to train with such vigor and be placed under such ruthless conditions to become the best they could be. Colonel Ackerson said otherwise. Lieutenant Commander Kurt-051 was his proof. Senior Chief Petty Officer Mendez had made him so.

He and his comrades reached the training grounds outside, not quite within the forests, yet still surrounded by the natural environment that had made Reach so prosperous a colony. A dull sky greeted the three hundred soldiers, not threatening with a storm yet hiding the star that filled the days with spirit and beauty. Only the shadow of a Supercarrier hovering above the skies interfered with what was the average morning within the confines of their base. The morning hour seemed as bitter as their mood, though a part of them hardly contained the excitement of finally getting the chance to fight augmented and powerful. To make the difference. To take vengeance against those that had deprived them of their lives long before they knew the value they held. The noise of a Falcon's thrusters and propellers was not lost to them, immediately saluting as they recognized the figures riding within it.

Of all the candidates and trainees in the SPARTAN-III Program, not a single held a shred of care for Ackerson. He was a rough prick to them all, stating the facts as they were and treating them as nothing more than fresh meat. The 'expendable super soldiers', he called them. For all their hatred for the man, none lifted a fist at the man or even spoke in his direction, given how their officer had instilled military discipline down to their cores. Their regards for Officer Mendez were all but the opposite, considering him as the closest figure to a father that they had. It was he who taught them to look out for one another, to view each other as comrades to defend with their lives. 'You don't win until your team wins', he would say.

Finally, the towering figure of the three stepped off. If Mendez had been their father, Kurt had without a doubt been their eldest brother. Teaching them the ways of his own Spartans, he furthered and complemented Mendez's training with his own techniques, all formed and crafted through his personal experiences. Even the lessons that none else would give them were taught to them by the Super Soldier, his open personality allowing him to do it with ease. While the emotion most of them had clung to for so many years when in doubt or in need had been blind rage, he'd had them remember that they were humans, not just rabid hounds to be unleashed upon the SA's undesirables.

During the first days of their training, most had cried themselves to sleep, empathy for one another and anger at the Covenant not being enough to bring them comfort in the dark of the night. Kurt had been the one to teach them to care deeply for one another, to use hope to look for a brighter future, to enjoy any and all moments where they had found happiness, even if only for a small while. Other than to each other, he was amongst the few who ever got to earn a smile from them, from _him_. Still, his and Chief Mendez's presence did little to deter them from their grim moods. Their frowns, if only slightly, deepened the second the Colonel started speaking.

"So, here you stand. For the first time in your lives, you will finally be useful to the UNSC. You will fight where no other marine, ODST or SA troop will even dream of going. You will be sent to missions considered suicidal, and you will die because your deaths will be what will keep Humanity safe from extinction. You will receive neither recognition nor glory, and you will be the first of many, because you will-" The sour man had stopped talking when he heard something through his earpiece that worsened his mood evermore. In the silence that plagued the ground, he could have sworn he listened to the other candidates' teeth grinding against one another. He looked at the elder 'leader', if he could be qualified as such, and attempted to deduce what had caused the interruption from his hardly enlightening speech.

"Then tell him it's _off_ limits and that he cannot-no, you listen to _me_, you will stop that beast from stepping these grounds no matter what-" Anything more than what he had to say was interrupted with the base's speakers resonating, no doubt hacked by the foreign intruder. "_Off limits_? _My apologies_, _Ackerson_, _I had not realized that nowadays Colonels outranked Chieftains and a Captain_, _for that matter_."

He and his comrades squinted their eyes at the voice, far too deep to be considered Human. At the mention of the ranks, he confirmed his suspicions that it was a Jiralhanae talking on the other end of the line, though who it was, he could not say. His object of focus shifted again as a Phantom neared their grounds, presumably originating from the kilometers-long ship above them. At most, a few minutes passed before the troop transport came to a stop, not too far away from where the Falcon had landed. A lighted beam and three figures emerged from the aerial carriage, all entirely coated in thick armor. At the front of the group was a massive figure that even dwarfed the Spartan-II tasked with training them, his violet shell exposing naught but his head. Behind him were two crimson figures, one even taller than the already intimidating leader of the group and another small enough to be as tall as an average Sangheili.

The two Chieftain Lieutenants, if he recognized the armor well enough, kept their helmets with polarized visors on, not giving any signs of emotion. They followed as soon as the one in the front, an albino-furred Jiralhanae with good portions of his mane greying, began to walk in the direction of the trainee's three leaders. As soon as they got up and personal, and closer to his line of sight, he could see his old, brown eyes weary of age and war. Though the Chief and Kurt saluted the giant with ease, Ackerson could not manage to do it without giving a look like someone had taken a shit on his dinner plate. "Chieftain Captain Lydus, we were not expecting your arrival. As you can see, we're making due with what little time we have and are rather shorthanded on spending it on much else."

"That I can see and on most occasions I would allow things out of my hand and concern clear of any and all interventions. Yet, I oft hear of some rather troubling pieces of information regarding this project of yours, Colonel Ackerson. Given that we are in times where the word 'uncertain' falls short to describe them, I took it upon myself to come out here and see with my own eyes that all goes well." The Chieftain replied extraordinarily coolly, not letting Ackerson's 'indirect' accusations and finger-pointing get to him. At his words, the commonly detested man shifted his weight between his legs; Chief Mendez looking at the giant undeterred while Kurt's visor reflected the giant's face.

"Yes, well, as ugly as the truth is, wars can't be fought with nobility and honor. If we want to _win_ this, we have to go farther than our enemies will, even if that means training children since-" Ackerson had attempted to stand his ground and seem unafraid at the Captain's intention until he was interrupted once more.

"I know that the Spartans are trained since the youngest of ages, you imbecile. It's not that that's held my concern for so long. Word has been tossed around several times saying that these three hundred are not meant to bolster the ranks and numbers of the legendary Super Soldiers so many have turned to in times of much doubt, but rather have them be dispensable, wasted and to be replaced within short measures of time."

"Yes, what you are looking at here is Alpha Company, today they will get their augmentations and we'll begin finding volunteers for the children willing to make up Beta Company. This way, whenever we have a mission considered suicidal-"

At this point, he and several others presumed that Ackerson would not receive the privilege of finishing his sentences for the better part of the day. While the Jiralhanae's tone before had been tired and annoyed, it brought chills to many to find that it was now far more heavily frustrated.

"You mean to tell me that you've taken _three hundred_ children to a military base, trained them for eight _fucking_ years, and that now you plan on wasting them as if they were as valuable as _cow shit_?"

This time, the Colonel did not even try to defend his point as the giant had come to such proximity to the Human that the man could count the teeth bared in his frown. "Your rank is worth shit, Colonel, I'll have you know that just as the higher ups will when I tell them. I've known war for the better part of my centuries-long life, and I can count with the fingers in my hands the amount of times I've seen a group of soldiers as trained and powerful as the Spartans have been throughout these years.

"I neither care nor mind that you look to create more for the sake of this war, Hells, I'd have implored you to do it if I'd known. And instead, here you stand, a fresh batch of three hundred before you and you already _speak_ of wasting them away. These soldiers, all who have the potential to impact the Covenant as much as the Spartan-II's have with _four_ times the amount of the originals, and here you lecture them of how they are to be replaceable. You will show me what their plan and experimentations for today was, if you do not want me to gut you for your sheer stupidity, as many others of my kind already would have."

"You can't-" He ate the rest of his words as the shorter of the Lieutenants pointed a Spiker at his head and gave a growl that could be confused for a dangerous beast's. The Colonel remained still while Mendez stepped forwards, not backing down when the Chieftains met his gaze. "Chieftain Lydus, I understand that you are used to treating insubordination without restraint or remorse, given the 'uncertainty' of the war we're fighting in, as you've pointed out. But right now, the last thing we can do is turn on one another when we need every abled body manning this ship we call the SA. I implore you to order your comrade to stand down."

The smallest of the three Chieftains grunted in the Officer's direction, not taking a liking to what he said, but was immediately stopped when Lydus held him back with a strong arm. "Don't. This one is not like the shit-for-brains who almost threw away the recruits. This one trained the Spartan-II's himself."

The warrior with a black-visor covering his face backed down immediately, not meeting Chief Mendez's face yet not taking a threatening pose against him anymore. The same could not be said for Ackerson, whose face was still inches away from the biting end of the one-handed rifle. Lydus turned to the Chief, respect in his eyes as he continued, "You speak the truth, Officer, which is why I said before I would relay this to the higher ups before I could take any actions of my own. Now answer me this. In this ship of an Alliance we've built with uncertain sail, destination and path, what good is a member who'll do nothing more than burn the food supplies and claim it a bonfire to warm up the other passengers of the vessel?"

Mendez stayed silent at that, Kurt finally moving as his pad showed everything they had planned for the soldiers that day, from augmentations to equipment. Lydus took it in his hands, reading over it quickly before his face and with it his mood darkening even more. "Half-assed augmentations and 'SPI' armor, the latter of which has shielding equivalent to an average _marine_ of your kind. You've outdone yourself Colonel. I do not know if I should congratulate you or shoot you for finding so many different ways to fuck over what had started out as a great initiative. Given the rapid sinking this program's success rates would have if you stay any longer at its head, I will now take full control over it during the remainder of time it has left."

"I-wait, what?! You can't do that! This program isn't even under-"

"For my first command as acting Commander of this program, I hereby fire you, Colonel Ackerson. You'll depart for the Unyielding Hierophant the moment I am done here so the Leadership can choose what they'll do to you for your near-catastrophic blunder. You speak again, Bracktanus will put a spike through your lung. Consider it a long, overdue lesson on discipline and obedience." Lydus instructed, Ackerson's face paling and his mouth agape at the giant's new orders.

In truth, he and his brethren were not sure about what to think, silent throughout the whole of the encounter. While they all enjoyed watching the head of the program get a leash put on him, the situation confused them more than it brought them joy. For many, it had been the Jiralhanae who had traumatized them beyond words or analyses, and yet here was one of the savages standing up for the lot of them. He was skeptical of it all, to be truthful, wondering if this was another of the many scenarios they had been put through for the better part of their lives. Then again, there was nothing they could do in a situation like the one they watched before them, mainly since they were taught to fight and command at the battlefield. The Captain's booming voice brought him from his thoughts once more.

"Officer Mendez, Lieutenant Spartan Cero-Five-One, until a date can be set on giving the trainees _proper_ augmentations, you will, _without fail_, remind them that the relation between the words 'Spartan' and 'suicidal' is nothing but that of two opposites. They shall carry on with their drills so they may not rust until-"

"You don't get it, do you?! The entire point of this whole fucking project is that we can't afford creating Spartans like the originals! Knowing that, we did EVERYTHING to make them as cheap and dispensable as we could in order to-" Ackerson did not even get halfway through his lecture before the black-visored Chieftain pulverized his ribs with a single punch to his chest. Nearly blacking out from the pain while subconsciously curving into a ball to minimize the agony of it all, he was grabbed roughly by the shoulder and turned upwards. Barely opening his eyes, he could see the mauve-armored giant kneeling before his form, face apathetic and colder than even those of the most experienced spooks.

"Firstly, I warned you not to interrupt me. Secondly, there will be no Beta, Gamma or Delta companies. Their funds will be redirected to 'Alpha Company', whom will not be designated as that but rather Spartan-III's, the _only ones_ of their kind, to make them as strong as their predecessors. With so many years since the first augmentations were handed out, by now they ought to work well enough to neither kill nor cripple the candidates." The fallen Colonel was about to point out the flaws in the plan, but stopped to try and breathe once more. Kurt, for the first time throughout the conversation, stepped closer to the Captain's kneeling form as to relay his concerns.

"Sir, those calculations have been made before. If we round up all the money invested into this project to concentrate it on them, it'll barely just cover a third of the whole funds. Maybe it could be enough to afford the remastered augmentations, but it certainly won't be enough to buy three hundred sets of MJOLNIR armors. The SPI's were lacking, I'll admit, maybe something more could be integrated into the shells, but at least they make up for their lack of defense with better stealth systems. I do want the best for them, sir, but we just don't have the money necessary to cover it all. We need funds that will-"

"-be supplied by our own resources, Lieutenant. My race has taken quite a liking to you warriors, they'll not forget with whom they fought alongside with on the toughest of battles. The San'Shyuum are the most prosperous of all the races and will know that aiding you will be aiding the SA as a whole, and the Sangheili revere you as they do their best warriors. Money shan't be the problem. What we need is to be assured that this investment will not go wasted. Can you guarantee that, Lieutenant?"

The armored man turned to the lot of them for the merest of seconds before looking back at the Chieftain with a simple and determined, "Yes."

"Very well. Relocation shall start effective immediately, for our best medical centers lie within our greatest space station. Besides, I would like to see for myself that these candidates do as well as you say." He turned to the crowd, still standing very still until he called, "All those of you who're considered the leaders of this platoon, step forward."

He did, as did nineteen others. He found himself face to face, or rather, face to torso with one of the strongest warriors the alliance had to give. "Name, soldier?"

"Carter A-Two-Five-Nine, sir." He responded, neither his voice nor his stance faltering under the giant's intense gaze. "Two-Five-Nine now, Spartan, for your company will be the only of its kind."

He gave a swift nod, as the giant began questioning the others for their names. Amongst the selection of leaders, he recognized Rosenda, Thom, Lucy, and several he'd grown close to over the years. They knew if they were caught fighting out of training by the Officer and they'd spend the night without dinner. Worse, if they were caught by Kurt, they wouldn't be as reprimanded as they would by Mendez's hand, but his overwhelming disappointment worked far more effectively than most average punishments.

"Now, if all of you had to fall in command of one of you, which would it be?" No words were spoken, but his sibling-like companions all looked at him. Lydus nodded. "Spartan Carter, step forwards."

He did. Now in front of the giant, his face more at ease without the Colonel's meddling, he lowered his face to analyze him. "Tell me one thing, Carter. Would you die nobly for our cause in our war against the Covenant?"

He was about to reply out of instinct but stopped immediately, knowing he was all but a polar opposite to Ackerson. He remained silent, mulling his answer for minute before replying, "No."

"No? Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't die for our cause, I would help the Covies die for theirs." He responded evenly. Another minute under the scrutinizing look passed, then the giant smiled. It did not reach his eyes and it was only just a small tug upwards from the ends of his mouth, not so dissimilar from his own grin, but he knew he was pleased. "Well said, Carter."

He stood up straight, no doubt radioing his ship. "Bring down transport for a little more than three hundred and set a course for the Unyielding Hierophant. It's time the Leadership received some pleasant news."

**5:37 – December 7****th****, 2539 – Pillar of Autumn Hangar Bay**

He looked at the Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, and several other weapons organized in groups on the wall. Sighing internally, he walked away from the weapons, knowing that he wouldn't be on familiar grounds and unable to reload when out of bullets. He approached the other section of the long wall, finding the plasma fueled weapons to be equally arranged, grabbing a pair of Plasma Rifles instead of his preferred weapon. Holstering them to his hips, he grabbed the Covenant Carbine, being amongst the few SA weapons for which he could scout for ammunitions. The Plasma Rifles were disposable and worst case scenario he'd grab another from a downed foe. Looking to his sides, he found the other Spartans to be doing the same, ditching their old human-made weapons for those crafted by their allies.

Once more, he groaned within his thoughts, Kalmiya not yet in his head to chide him about it. He recognized the others as brothers and sisters, to be sure, but they were not his squad. Most of them, at least. The three he had come to know closely after so many times they've saved one another on the battlefield would be commanding two of those pertaining to Red Team each. The situation upset them all a bit, not because they had a problem working with each other, but because they were far more efficient when placed together with the team they'd grown used to being a part of for so long. He dismissed his thoughts and walked his way towards Naomi and Adriana, both making sure their weapons functioned well. He nodded to them, giving them a short 'Spartan smile', a gesture which they returned in no time.

Soon, they were all before the Crow, also referred to as the UNSC's Longsword. Though originally the latter was its name, it wasn't long before it was given a signature animal's name. The one they got closer to was equipped with a cloaking unit used by Phantoms pertaining to the highest ranking Commanders and Captains of the SA. The backdoor opened allowing them through, the other nine soon following up behind. John spared a glance at Alice and Jorge, both who abandoned their mobile turrets for weapons better suited for a stealth mission. Yet another mistake done by those who had thought of their part in the mission, he thought. Soon, they were all aboard, the door closing and the Crow taking off.

It wasn't long before his AI partner materialized atop the consoles at the ship's head, smiling as she japed. "Well what a colorful bunch. I don't remember the last time I've seen all of you together."

"Desperate times called for desperate measures. Shame we can't be so loud out there." Jorge replied nonchalantly, rather relaxed about the whole ordeal to come. Serin, however, was not so keen on hiding her discontent. "The Leadership did a mistake picking us out. We're Spartans, and we'll get it done either ways, but for such an important objective we're better off fighting with the squads we've trained with."

John said nothing, but he couldn't help but agree with Blue Team's pragmatic mind. He could see the others nodding, Alice pitching in. "The Covenant's been giving us hell these last few years. I'm surprised they chose _now_ of all times to start mixing us up. If anything, they should wait for the heat to die down before seeing how we mingle with each other after years working on different teams."

Now he heard voices and grunts in agreement, Kalmiya analyzing the situation with an unbreakable gaze. Frederic had remained silent, just as John had, and the latter had guessed why the former had, as well as the intent behind the operation. Fred voiced it before him. "Alice, that's _exactly_ why they've put us together rather than keep us happy with our usual teammates. There's been one big barrel of shit that's been hitting the fan these past few years, and they want us to get used to it."

"Still, that isn't a reason as to why they'd risk an operation for it." Skeptical about Fred's statement, the group kept quiet about Alice's response to hear what the knife expert had to say. "It's not about the operation. At least that's not what they're worried about."

The group looked at him confused, not understanding what he was implying save for John who already knew. Kalmiya also looked like the realization had only just dawned on her. John spoke up. "Rumors have been going around that the continuous victories the Covenant's earning will get to us all eventually, no exceptions. They presume the worst case scenario for all the troops."

"Which is…?" Naomi questioned, her and the others not catching what John was getting at. Then again, the idea had once been thought to be completely preposterous and impossible, not to mention completely spirit-killer. John looked directly at her visor, his voice deadpanned and leaving no room for arguments or doubt. "They expect us to be killed in battle. They want to have us interact with one another in the extreme case that our own squads and teams get partially or entirely wiped out."

They all stiffened, despite their minds sharpened by Halsey and their intuitiveness often exercised, not having expected that that had been the case. The SA Leadership, in fact, had done the exact opposite for a great amount of years. They spread out the saying 'Spartans Never Die' to bring hope to their troops, the Super Soldiers' great many victories with no casualties fomenting the phrase. And yet, here they were, practicing a scenario once considered taboo. Margaret chuckled, all being able to sense the bitterness behind it. "Well gee, ain't that just flattering? And here I was, worrying that they were losing faith in us."

The sarcasm with hints of derision was lost to no one despite her almost monotone voice, they being able to decipher another of their own's emotions better than all others. Fred spoke up again, "Margaret, eight months ago, there were several sightings of biotic Raiders recorded during the fall of Harvest. Every single time it appeared, we lost. It took a while, but after identifying each one of the findings, we found out they were only _five_ Raiders. There were several times were it levitated a whole damn _Wraith_ tank and threw it against a Phantom without putting too much strain on itself.

"Five Raiders in the right places at the right times brought the downfall of a whole planet, what does that say about how the war's been going? Rachni aren't too tough, but they're more than enough to cover and protect tougher soldiers like Sangheili Specops. That is without counting how most races have gotten Biotics within their ranks. With just how much worse the war is getting, they believe an encounter with the wrong group could end in casualties amongst our own. That's why they want us to get used to fighting alongside whoever survives."

The coldness in his voice left it clear for all just how bad it had gotten for all. They knew all about it from first hand experiences, but for some of them, it was hard to accept it as anything more than a challenge. And yet, most Spartans had now had near-death experiences where they were as likely to make it out alive of the fight as it was to die on the battlefield. Perhaps near-constant success and the saying that proclaimed their immortality had gotten to their heads. It did not matter to John how it happened that they began to lose the great-scaled war, but it would not do to have his Spartans mellow and more accepting about the fact that they could die.

"As Spartans, it's our duty to complete our mission, whatever the cost. But part of the mission is getting through to the end of it alive, even if it means that we have to make our own luck. We've faced and killed Raiders before. It's not easy, but it's not impossible. Even if the odds are against us, we'll find a way. Even if we aren't with all the members of our original teams, this will make for practice. We may start out the mission together, but we don't get to choose where we end it on certain occasions.

"Right now we have the fortune that we're fighting alongside each other rather than in a platoon pertaining to another species, but that doesn't mean that tomorrow we won't. Right now, the best that we can do is take Eayn back. Until every last Human, Sangheili, Jiralhanae, and any other member of the SA is dead, then the fight hasn't been finished, and the war isn't over. We've lost a lot, but so has the Covenant. Today we further ourselves in their territory, and we'll remind them that neither Rachni nor Biotics will hold us down."

Kalmiya, who'd been watching from the console in silence, smiled at the knight who oft carried her. Even amongst the Spartans, John was known to have been amongst the best of their own, and even then he would not allow a teammate to fall behind. And for that, all heeded his voice, counsel and commands. Margaret, not quite as frustrated as before, chuckled again. "Gotta say John, if you opened up a little more, you'd probably be renowned for motivational speeches."

He shook his head, lightly enough to almost be lost to his brethren. However, they too were more than experienced in detecting subtlety and acting reserved. They grinned under their helmets, some with the intention to speak had the plane not begun its landing. Hovering down, John walked up to the console, allowing Kalmiya in his chip once the belly of the Crow touched the ground. Settled in his head once more, he nodded to the rest of the dozen Spartans with a simple, "Let's go."

Walking out of the Crow, it and the crew that once manned it becoming invisible, they looked at their surroundings. Once their camouflage units were fully operational, they looked at the uniqueness of Eayn's capital. Ah'lomet, the same way Nazananka was to Balaho and Varm to Te, was a distinctive and great center for the Kig-Yar's birthplace. The buildings were many yet spaced, reaching at the very least four hundred meter's height. Most stuck to half a kilometer, but some surpassed. One in particular was very thick, no doubt to withstand hundreds of floor's worth of weight. The Super Soldiers analyzed it while Kalmiya calculated its exact stature. Hearing her whistle through the comms was more than enough for them to realize just how tall the building was. "Well, you have to admit it. Some may be a bit more savage than average while others are stone-cold snipers, but they sure as hell know how to build big. I could be more precise if the clouds didn't hide the rest of it, but if my analysis is correct, then the tip of that place should be about one point thirteen kilometers from the ground."

The Spartans took a second to truly admire it. The next, John tilted his head to the side. They were on a time limit and they couldn't afford to waste what little they had on momentary scenery. The floors, he realized, were filled with knee-high plants or grass of the sorts, all teal in color. Inspecting the buildings that the Kig-Yar inhabited, they seemed to be protected by a layer of trees that had grown around them. Looking through his Carbine's scope and enhancing his visor's sights to the building nearest to him, he proved himself right. Knowing his inner doubts, Kalmiya started.

"Unlike most other species, the Kig-Yar rely on stealth and fighting from afar in great part. The Unggoy have their strength in quantity and the Lekgolo have their underground fortresses and powerful units. The Kig-Yar aren't particularly strong, maybe a bit more than the average Human, and they sure aren't numbered by the thousands per fight. Seeing this, they've kept to forests and a rather fair amount of nature, if you will, knowing they are better at hiding within their known 'wild' environments. This is why there are many buildings in this area but never too concentrated. Their roads consist of shorter foliage than average and rather than have sidewalks, they have trees scattered throughout anywhere that does not require a vehicle to cross.

"With them being adept climbers, they've posed great resistance to previous intruders by positioning themselves above higher grounds and at difficult places to be shot at whereas the invaders could only stay groundside. There's a reason they're the only race that do not share the same religion, and if the Covenant hadn't threatened to glass them, then they likely would have repelled them successfully. That's why stealth is the main factor in this mission. We lose that and we'll have hundreds of snipers and marksmen aiming at us through all sorts of different scopes. Basically, welcome to the jungle, everyone."

John remembered Red Team's reports on Balaho and found that it had a rather unique metropolis, especially knowing by whom it was built. In some ways, however, he found it to be similar to his own kind's architecture. Te's strongholds proved to be much more innovative than the previous homeworld, given that building downwards was not an idea tossed around by most people. Here, there seemed to be nothing but skyscrapers, long pillars hidden by the rainy clouds formed by the manmade jungle beneath them. Said jungle seemed to have a great amount of flora, most of its greenery probably tampered genetically. He noted how the average trees and tall shrubs seemed to have smaller branches on the bottom to use to climb them. Then there were much thicker branches nearing the uppermost ends functioning to remain stationary at their tops with an eagle's point of view. While strange and original, he supposed the architectural style fitted well for the race of avians' cities.

Now beginning their soundless jog, the group of Spartans raced through the capital's forest. The bright grey clouds above them began to produce a breeze, bringing dozens of miniature droplets with them. They paid the weather no mind, however, knowing that their objective lied within the titanic skyscraper that lied in the middle of the place. If Kalmiya was right, then the point where it crossed the clouds did not even serve as a halfway mark. He preferred not to imagine what it would be like to drop from such a height.

They'd not yet gotten to where the soldiers lied and he heard the sound of waves. Turning his head, he found that the jungle ended to his immediate right. Standing barefoot on the pristine white sand was the ghost of a woman with long, brown hair dancing with the winds. She looked at him and smiled, her pale, white summer dress immediately being ruined as crimson spots appeared in a few places. The largest one, the size of his fist, formed on the bottom half, right between her legs. The beach darkened, soon a narrow alleyway taking its place as several more shadows appeared from its corners, all sinister with only their smiles being discernable. He blinked at the sight and it was all gone.

"John?" He looked behind him to find Fred's and the others' outlines in place, waiting for the main leader's go-ahead before moving once more. He shook his head and dismissed the intruding thoughts. "I thought I heard movement. Keep going."

He trotted to the front, taking the lead and assuring the rest that he was in good conditions to fight and lead. The word 'good' being a relative term. Neither he nor Kalmiya had the time to figure out what his unusual visions meant, or in what patterns they came. It had started out on Ulgethon when he found the victim used on the Covenant's experiments with the Rachni. He had presumed it had been a one-time occasion, but time had shown otherwise. First, it started out every few months, then it became a matter that happened once a month. Now, it had been only two weeks since his last hallucination, and it hardly looked like it was going to get any better. At first he dismissed the idea, but now he had requested that he see Doctor Halsey, knowing she may be one of the few capable of answering his questions and finding a solution. He ran quickly, wanting to be done with the operation and leave the place before his hampered mental condition compromised it all.

**Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. There's the first half of the third homeworld's taking. So there's an insight on the Spartan IIIs. There won't be the Alpha, Beta and Gamma Companies, just the first one. As you can see, they won't be the half-assed creations Ackerson made them to be, but real Spartans instead. As for John, you'll understand soon enough. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and please do review on your thoughts and how it could be improved. I'm serious, it's what keeps me motivated.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes: HOLD UP. Before you read any more and skip these notes, I warn you that this chapter has some really dark shit in it, the kind that really marks it as an M-rated story (and even pushes certain boundaries). I did not make it explicitly descriptive, but it is a mood killer and maybe even nauseating, but I remind you that this is a story about war. Anything you read about some sort of protagonistic Sergeant going through a war unscathed and unbroken in all manners is nothing short of fiction. Even if it leaves no physical marks, so much fighting does shit to you, and in this chapter I depict one of the darkest parts of what happens in a large scale massacre. You have been warned. Sorry for the rather cold notes, but I hope you enjoy the chapter below all the same.**

**Update 08/19/15: So apparently, the dark scene in this chapter was enough for a very 'sensitive' reviewer to report my story. Since I don't want to run the risk of having this story deleted and losing everything I've written for more than a year now, I modified it so it can be even less descriptive than before (and I was pretty damn vague about it the first time). It is still the same, but a bit less dark so I could step back in the M-rated boundaries. I don't know how this will go, this is the first time I've rewritten a chapter, but I'm willing to sacrifice the 4K+ views and reviews I've earned with it. For now, I can only hope that I can gain them back and I'm sorry this isn't a new chapter, but I'm still alive and working. If you're wondering who made me do this, just look for 'Lay Down Hunter'. I have him/her to thank for making my story run the risk of being put down for good.**

**\- If there are any MODERATORS or ADMINS here to check the scene in question, look for the second part of this update below, it's all I ask.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Melancholy's Host**

**06:23 – December 7th, 2539 – Ah'lomet's Outskirts, Kar'haan, Daraen, Eayn**

John marched onwards, attempting to dispel the thoughts of the mysterious woman who continued to plague his waking dreams. He did so quite vigorously, knowing that the retaking of a homeworld depended entirely on his team's performance, all under _his_ leadership. At times, he'd wanted nothing more than to let Fred or Serin take the lead, but he knew such an unusual change in his attitude would raise suspicion amongst the heads governing over the alliance. He knew where that would likely lead, and he'd be damned if he were to be decommissioned, especially now that many of his brethren looked to him when they needed a level mind to follow. And so, he trotted through the capital's unique jungles.

Coming up to thicker trees, John gave a simple hint and nodded to the large, natural pillars. Though slightly weary of the idea at first, the camouflaged Spartans hopped branch to branch with much more ease knowing they could withstand their tremendous weight. With Kalmiya's suggestion, each Spartan stood on a different branch, all having better views with several meters' height more from the ground. In his head, John recalled the records from the battles at Nazananka when the time came to take back the planet. Kalmiya soon complied, showing the fights pertaining to Red Team that had been won. Satisfied with the sights, he looked ahead of him, where troops were no longer as stretched thin as they had been.

True to his guess, he found that the Kig-Yar atop the genetically modified trees had Sangheili or Jiralhanae Commanders nearby watching over them. Knowing how the race of evolved avians was considered second lowest in almost everything within the Covenant, the Spartan wasn't surprised to see other species garrisoned on the homeworld. With the Unggoy being the lowest only by little, he had suspected that both members of the coalition were treated with little respect. So little, in fact, that only the Hierarchs' preferred races could run their squads, even on their own home's soil.

A few signals here and there, and the group hopped tree to tree closer to the small platoon keeping an eye on the area. Now only a dozen meters away, the team of Spartans looked at the garrisoned sentries through the scopes of their weapons. Having instructed Jorge and Alice to sneak behind the pair of Jiralhanae to perform a quick assassination, he gave a green light, the apes being the first to fall lifeless on the ground. The Kig-Yar fell soon after, the dozen and a half Covies falling on their backs with scorched scars starting on one side of their heads and ending in the others.

With the rifles' shots near soundless, the group was quick to hide the bodies from other sentries. It wasn't long before John heard his electronic companion talk through his helmet. "Grab the Major's helmet and keep your hand over it. I might just be able to tap through the comms and know where others are."

"Will it get us caught?" The question only spurred a chuckle from the AI. "Fat chance. Having gotten to know our friends from the Alliance for enough years has led me to understand the matrixes with which they work well enough to intercept them uncaught. Better yet, I think I can pull a few tricks and answer for the Covenant's fallen warrior here and they won't think to look in our direction. Unless, of course, one of the snipers happens to see the bodies."

Without further ado, he tore the green-gold helmet from the corpse's armor, keeping his hand within the piece of metal until Kalmiya delightedly cried, "Done! 'Major Orneus' might as well serve us now. It's his voice that's going to answer the comms if any of his ever loyal comrades asks for him."

"You'll be answering them through my helmet." Blue Team's famed leader did not hide the doubt in his voice, not knowing if the AI was taking the best course of action with her improvised plan. "Of course I will. What, were you thinking on leaving me inside of that crusted old thing?"

"Won't his 'comrades' raise questions if they find that the local Major is moving towards the central building?"

"No, I'm leaving a link between his helmet and yours so I can answer through his. The only way they'd know where we are is if they looked at the connection that leads to us, which through here I can terminate."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Doing this will help us localize other squads and avoid them, and I can attract attention to all troops once we're inside the building and keep external forces away from us. Besides we need to do this. Time is of the essence, remember?"

"_Stealth_ is of the essence, and with it, time becomes less of a problem. If we get caught outside the building or even _within_ it but on the lower levels, then that will be the loss of countless ships and the soldiers they hold. That's why we can't run risks during the start of the mission, of all the times we could."

"It won't _be_ a risk, I won't allow it to be. John, do you trust me?"

He stayed silent for a few seconds, his massive breastplate rising with his chest when he sighed. "I trust you."

"Then I promise I won't let you down. This is the best thing we can do right now." Whereas her initial tone was the more excited and playful one, the one she tended to use, the one she ended up with was one far more weary yet determined, not unlike his own. The others of the team, having tuned in on the discussion but made no comments, watched as their leader waited for his partner's signal. "Alright, they're relatively evenly scattered, and get much more concentrated when close to any of the buildings, but there's a few spaces between them that we can take advantage. I'll link you all to a map of the area with the places where the troops are stationed."

The moment she did, John trotted soundlessly again through the path highlighted by Kalmiya, the other Super Soldiers close at his heels. While they took care to avoid being heard by the scouts and minimized the movement made by the plants at their feet, Kalmiya whispered to John's ear once more. "You've been having those visions again, haven't you?"

His silence upset her, knowing the armored behemoth tended to take all the pain in and let none of it out. "If this gets worse…"

"I know what could happen. I've already sent Doctor Halsey a message. She'll see me soon after we're done here. She may give me answers on what they are and why they're coming to me." His even answer would have led most to believe that all was under his control, but Kalmiya could tell that the walls of his mind were cracking, and she feared to watch them fall. "John, why don't you let Fred take the lead on this one? Or Serin, or even Margaret while we're at it? We can't do much if we're in the middle of a firefight and you zone out again. Remember when-"

"What would you have me do? Any sign of this reaches the Leadership and I may well be decommissioned. Then what would I do?"

"John, even if they did that, they wouldn't hold you for long, only until they can fix you up again. This is dangerous, not just for you, but to every one of your friends under _your_ command! Could you imagine if one of us-"

"_No_, and that's _final_." It was rare to see the calm and even-tempered Spartan frustrated, and even more troubled. Kalmiya stayed silent, the entire conversation having occurred during their continuous run. She waited, hoping to hear him speak again. He did, and his tone was far more depressed than she'd ever heard from him.

"I… I'm a Spartan. It wasn't my choice, but I was made one nonetheless. I and the others had one purpose. Bear the weight of Humanity on our backs. Protect Earth and all her colonies. Fight through the worst of the odds and come out victorious. Make our own luck, if it came to that. War, combat… _fighting_ is all I know. Maybe I can give and create tactics and make sound, successful battle plans. Maybe I can command a ship well, or an entire armada, if that's what I'm given, but my place is in the field. It's the one thing I'm truly good at. If I can't fight anymore when we're beginning to lose the war, when each and every one of us is needed more than ever… what does that say about me?...

"… I'm a failure. As a Spartan. A Spartan and a soldier." She had wanted to interrupt him halfway through his personal criticizing, but had neither the heart nor the voice to do so. The idea of being discharged, taken out of his comfort zone within the fighting grounds while his brethren fought and bled in his place had gotten to him far more than she would have expected. She thought over her next words carefully, thinking of the best way to dissuade him from the cruel judgment he'd passed on himself.

"John… I can calculate the amount of lives you've taken. With all the years in the war, I think it should be well over a few million, counting destroyed titanic space ships and all. That's probably one of the highest kill counts the SA has from _one_ soldier. I think that it's even the biggest one out of all the Spartans, too, and you want me to tell you something? That kill count, the numbers… they're all _worthless_ if you compare them to the amount of lives you've saved. And not just Humans, but _tens of millions _if you count every race within the SA. Some of them are soldiers who you took a shot for, and some of them are families caught in the crossfire that would be dead if it weren't for you. Some of them are people who were trapped in worlds you've freed. And every single one of them has a tomorrow to look forward to, thanks to you, the same way the others have saved their own fair share of lives. Don't ever call yourself a failure, John, because you're everything but."

The titan of a man remained silent through it all, and said nothing after she was done. All Kalmiya could hope for was that he hadn't discarded her hopefully comforting words. A part of her knew the man well enough to be sure that whenever she spoke, he listened, even if he didn't agree. She wouldn't hassle him on about it, but she wanted nothing more than to insist and get it through his head that he truly was a hero to many and with good reason. But, she didn't. All she would do was continue to relay the path to the central building. Speaking of which, now they were only thirty meters from.

The capital's_ Xolobhar Yrnt_, or '_Vigilant Pike_' in the Kig-Yar's native tongue, had at the very least a kilometer long diameter at its base. Kalmiya knew that it lessened the higher it went to avoid the weight of it all to collapse the enormous structure. The look it gave was that of a titan's spear, piercing the heavens and invading the gods' castles of clouds. The levels at the top were the ones that pertained to the mixed team's interests, given that there were the higher authorities, military and civilian alike. They were the ones to control planetary defenses, relay the troops where they were needed the most, and held the consoles that managed the energy shields that surrounded the building itself.

"Alright everyone, huddle up. I may just have an idea to get us through that tough barrier without compromising the mission." Kalmiya spoke and they nodded, getting closer to each other and to the entrance of the titanic building. All winked green when she was done, seeing it as the best chance they had to get through it all without taking casualties. Through the Covenant comms, Kalmiya spoke through the late Major's helmet with the brute's voice, telling the leaders of the groups stationed around the building that they were required inside while she requested entrance from the higher ups on a different frequency.

Both responded as planned, and the undetectable Spartans fell behind the walking troops, the blue hue around the building vanishing around the bottommost gates. They slipped back, trailing behind the talking Sangheili.

"Just remember, John. Find a place to put me in and I should be able to hack the building's cameras." The AI whispered in his head. "Noted."

The group was at the Sangheili Ultras' heels, John straying a bit once the group made it inside. Inside the extraordinarily large lobby, the Spartans looked at the forest of columns with platforms for soldiers to be stationed at, not unlike how they used the wooden trunks outside the titanic building. On the other side of the room, John found an electronic pedestal next to the main elevator, soon running past the elites garbed in white shells. All in silence, he hovered his hand over it, allowing Kalmiya to jump into the platform. The group fell into an uneasy silence, waiting for the golden AI to finish hacking into the system. The second she winked green, the Super Soldiers let out a barrage of bullets. Stunned and confused, the Covenant battalion succumbed quickly to the silenced rounds, long before they could defend themselves or call for backup.

Satisfied knowing that reinforcements wouldn't come, John looked at the small platform where Kalmiya's holographic form stood. His team around him, he asked his companion, "What did you do?"

"Well, if I shut down the cameras, the main room may just be sealed, so I figured I'd play a little game of deception. Anyone watching the security footage would see everything in order, as if twelve Spartans armed to the teeth weren't knocking on their very doors. I can call the main elevator and get you to the second hundredth floor. The last twenty platforms, you need the Personnel Elevator to get to gain entry, and it is much harder to decode the systems to use it… _if_ you're equipped with a Covenant 'dumb' AI. Thankfully for you all, I've had my fair share of experience with alien cybernetic matrixes. For now, just enjoy the ride up."

She snapped her fingers and the elevator's doors opened to allow the group through. The metallic platform could likely host a group thrice their size, from what John could see, so he gave the sign for the others to spread out evenly. The elevator took off rather quickly, according to Kalmiya. For all his heightened senses, John could not even feel his ears popping, much less the platform moving. All having their weapons aimed at the door, they made short work of a large group of unknowing Kig-Yar and their Honor Guards. After going through a few more elegant halls and their sentries, they made it once more to their desired destination. Kalmiya consuming a bit more time to bring the lift without any one of the members from the upper floors take noticing, the doors opened in five different directions to let them through.

Before getting on, John fulfilled his AI companion's orders and dragged one of the fallen to the much smaller silo. Her body still warm with her life only recently depraved for her, the Kig-Yar Zealot served to ease Kalmiya's troubles by bypassing the biologic examinations. Hand and eyes intact with plentiful blood to spare, all the cybernetic woman had to do was tweak the electronic systems slightly to make the corpse seem live. Not a word of silence on the much shorter ride up, nor when they executed the unsuspecting ambassadors and sentinels at the main control rooms. One of the darker parts of the roles they took in the war, the group of twelve gave small condolences to the dead, knowing they'd wanted nothing more than to protect their people. Still, war was war, and it was more than impossible to win one cleanly.

"Kalmiya, I'm going to upload you into the systems. Shutdown the defense systems and keep the shields on the structure until we can find a way down." The leader of Blue Team's tone brokered no argument, not that the AI had planned to offer some. He hovered his hand on the personnel elevator's pedestal to let her back in his armor before placing his hand on the main consoles, most of which were coated thick with blood. "Two steps ahead of you. If I'm not mistaken, there _should_ be some jetpacks made for Elites and others for Brutes in this floor's armory."

"Understood. Wait for us to be equipped and then deactivate the resistance this building controls." With that, John gestured for his Spartans to follow him. Camouflage engaged, they were keen not to get caught after having gone through the trouble of escalating the monumental structure with perfected stealth. He went through a hall that banked right and stopped before getting to the corner. From the deep tones, he could tell those bantering were a couple of Sangheili with fewer Jiralhanae. He made a gesture to stop their advances as he listened intently on their conversation.

"-ly pathetic, _the lot of you_. Just how you can stain your hands and your… _other regions_, is beyond my understanding." That was one Sangheili, and from the disgust in his tone, he guessed his confrontation was towards one or all of the Jiralhanae.

"What do you care about what we do, _splitjaw_? That's our way of handing punishment and we're rewarded for it. You sure that's not jealousy in your tone?" True to his guess, the other member of the verbal conflict was that of the ape-like species.

"You think I, no, _we_ envy your _filth_? You're softer in the head than we were led to believe, Barius, you and your brothers have hardly what it takes to be Honor Guards. Hells, we even shut off our comms so you could personally deal with your prisoner, and in the _armory_, no less. If these were not times so desperate, I would have your race amputated of their limbs and the heads paraded through High Charity." Another Sangheili. John had heard enough, and with a wave of his hand, he and his eleven made short work of the group.

They'd been five in total, three of the honor-bound and two of the savages. Looking at the door they'd surrounded, he knew where the last one was. "Jiralhanae have tendencies to torture victims far beyond their boundaries, so expect anything. If the victim is horribly damaged beyond physical and mental aid… a quick death would be the best mercy."

There was a silent agreement amongst the Super Soldiers as John kicked down the door to the advanced arsenal. None of his words had prepared himself for the sight. All of his years training, all of his years witnessing tragedies and events considered traumatic, all of his years seeing the absolute worst of his enemies had not prepared him for the moment before him. His knees were weak, and for a split-second, he tasted bile in his mouth before he froze at the sight.

On all fours was a woman, brown of hair, naked as the day she was born. Behind her was a brute, helmet off and all pieces of armor protecting his groin scattered on the ground. With every thrust he gave, she screamed, tears dripping from her face. The woman, too consumed in pain, had paid them no mind, but the brute looked at them paralyzed as John himself, not even being able to hide his two white rows of teeth bent in a sadistic smile. In a second, John's mind blacked out and he found himself elsewhere.

_He was running. The woman with long, brunette hair had his arm in an iron grip as she ran with Hell itself at her heels. The alley was dark, even the advanced headlights were broken, bullets pierced through the bulbs that provided them manmade illumination. Several men came sprinting after them, much faster than them. Still, he ran with the tall woman, fear riddled across every inch of her face. A turn to the left, another to the right, a third to the left and then there was the dead end._

_Five men came, panting, but now relaxed and walking slowly. Demented smiles and their teeth were all he could see, soon being grabbed by his mother, who held a steel pipe with her other hand. He was behind her, tears in his eyes and his small pants soiled with his own piss. The woman gave him a final few words of comforts, as empty as the inside of the pipe in her right hand. The men mocked, he didn't hear, everything had long since been tuned out with the fear in his heart disabling his every sense._

_The first man ran, but a swift strike from the woman and he was down, crimson water moistening his forehead as he lay on the ground, still breathing. Some of it had soaked the woman's white dress, droplets spraying her face. The second ran and she struck him in his knee, the man crying out in pain. She hadn't been quick enough for the third, who took the pipe from her and struck her, leaving her bruised and bleeding from her forehead. She fell, the third grabbing her left arm and the fourth grabbing her right, pinning her on the ground. He ran, hopping atop the third one's back when he'd been forgotten by all. The woman screamed his name, screamed for him to leave. He bit the third's neck instead._

_He got an elbow to his face and lost three of his soft teeth with it, leaving him motionless and pained. The fifth came and pinned him down, not before grabbing his head and twisting it so he could see the woman. She screeched and kicked, but it did her no good. The third entered her first. Then the fourth. The first had woken up and took her after him. He simply lay motionless, but he noticed the fifth was fiddling with his clothes, trying to deprive him of them. "JOHN!"_

_Her scream echoed through the rims of his mind, it was the only thing that did. Not the gunshots that followed soon after. Not the fifth's body falling before he could do anything to him, smile still in place, carved into his face before he could understand what had happened. The other four stopped what they were doing, the first leaving her midway to try to run. He was shot too, as were the other three. Men in uniforms came and helped him and the woman up, telling them that they were safe. He knew otherwise. The damage had been made. The woman wept as two other women in the same uniform helped her up and carried her. Her sundress was barely just intact, blood everywhere, a large amount pooling between her legs. His eyes leaked and his pants wetted again. "Mom."_

John blinked and he was back in the room, the brute having pulled out. His smile had gone and he shoved the woman head first to the nearest wall. She fell to the ground quickly and silently. To say he was in 'Spartan Time' would be putting it lightly. Before he could make a move, he turned to Margaret beside him, aiming her Carbine at the Covie's head. He dropped his own and grabbed hers by the barrel, crushing it within less than two seconds. The next he used her to shove her against the other Spartans, not expecting John's reaction at the scene. He didn't want them to intervene.

He turned back to the brute, only now standing straight up, fur covering his groin, and readying to attack with fear in his face. He ran faster than the giant could even begin to grab his holstered Spiker, looking for the best weak spot to attack, the one which would produce the most pain. In a single motion, he gripped the Jiralhanae's manhood and ripped it off, the pieces of the skin it was attached to coming with it. He screamed in a high pitch beyond what should have been possible for a beast of his kind, but the beast surpassed his vocal cords' capacity and managed it.

The brute's head uncovered and mind numbed with the pain, all John could think of were the women screaming, the victim comatose on the ground and the one of his memories. His mother. He shoved his hand in the brute's mouth with greater speed than Kelly's and tore his tongue out with strength that not even Sam could manage. He screamed no longer, the only sounds emanating from his throat being that of gurgling noises, choking on his own blood. That wasn't enough for John. A punch fit to make a train stop landed on the Honor Guard's temple, knocking him on the ground and cracking his skull to the point that a stray shard broke through his skin. That wasn't enough.

He knelt atop his chest and pummeled the giant with his right fist while keeping his head steady with his left hand gripping the thick neck. The blood that spurted from his skull contaminated the floor and contaminated his sight. Soon, his body became a dark red fitted only for blood, his fist pounding the cranium as it became harder and harder and darker and darker. Everything was a shade of crimson. His visor, his radar, the body, the blackened head, even the floor. He felt a large pair of arms grab him roughly and he remembered the fifth man of his memories. Turning his body halfway, a punch sent the giant soaring. In his rage, he barely just processed a body hitting the wall behind him.

The pair of hands multiplied, soon grabbing every part of his arms and his chest while he tried to keep beating the now indestructible skull of the beast that had abused of the victim in his grasp. He flailed and near sent his captors flying away, but they remained firm, and painfully slowly, the room returned to its original colors. He saw the arms were coated in olive green armor, as opposed to his left appendage that was peppered in the brute's gore. His right arm was perfectly red to the elbow, no longer holding its original colors. He turned his head back quickly, finding that Jorge was lightly nursing his chest, the armor that covered it dented slightly. It was enough, however, to see the mark of a fist.

Now still, his team let him go so he could pick up after himself. He kept on his knees for a while, looking at his hands still in fists as he tried to process what had happened a mere few seconds prior. He looked at the naked woman, now carried by Alice, perfectly still. She was dead, likely having been hit too hard against the wall by the perverse brute. He looked away and turned back towards the giant that had caused all of it, ready to put a bullet through his head without any more pent up memories or emotions to interfere with his level mindset. He hadn't thought him to be dead, however.

John realized that he had likely killed the Honor Guard by the first few punches. He walked towards the corpse, finding the head to be long gone and only a mushy pulp to take its place. He realized that the skull hadn't gotten harder. The floor, instead, was bent inwardly, far more so than Jorge's armor. A crater had formed with his constant pounding, and he realized he'd been punching the floor in his infuriated insanity. He relaxed his left hand and started to do the same with his right when he felt a pain alien to him.

He looked at his right fist and his eyes widened yet again. The armor's black underskin had been destroyed around his knuckles as well as his _skin and muscle_. Bathed in his own blood, he could see the shine in his metal coated bones in the holes where his meat was missing. Even the metal itself, deemed unbreakable by Halsey, had instead been bent. His forefinger's knuckle was bent a bit more to the right and his middle finger's was tilted to the left. He grinded his teeth together when he used his free hand to bend them back into place, grunting in agony all the while.

He made short work of it and the nerves around the area throbbed more than gunshot wounds, but he made himself open his hand again. He looked at the Carbine on the floor, his Carbine, now tainted in the gore made during his rage induced episode. He picked it up and looked at the eleven now looking at him from across the room, hardly looking at him as a leader but rather a loose cannon, an beast as untamed as the headless one on the ground. He looked at the ground and sighed, weary and pained. Decommission was certain now, without Kelly or Sam there who knew him best and would strive to understand what went wrong with him.

Jorge was the first to step forwards, hands in the air as he attempted to soothingly order, "John, I have no idea what happened there. I'm sure it happened because of something we don't understand right now, hell, you're probably the best-"

"Fred, take point. The mission's yours from here on out. I… I'll do the best I can to follow orders and not be dead weight. Take Kalmiya when we get back to the control room." John wouldn't have it. He couldn't imagine how he'd jeopardized his chances of staying on the front lines, much more so than he did the mission. He tried to avoid the inevitable, he'd been sure, but he would be damned if he dragged everyone else down with his own failures. He grabbed a jet pack and geared up before heading out, not letting anyone stop him. His hand swelled and hurt all the while, finding it that even the simplest of his fingers' movements were hard to do without him flinching. Lacking skin and the few muscles that surrounded his nubs had taken an effect on him once the adrenaline had been eliminated from his system.

Walking to the control room, Kalmiya had her arms crossed and her face showed signs of much concern. She was about to talk to him, opening her mouth to probably repeat what she had heard and seen through the cameras but he stopped her. "Fred's taking command. He'll be taking you from this point on and I'll report to the SA Leadership about the events, that I'm not fit for duty anymore. With any luck, I may be able to visit Halsey after ONI runs several psyche exams on me. Maybe she'll see if I'm still useful for something."

Her eyes widened at that, looking like she was ready to talk him out of it. Again, he prevented that from happening. "Kalmiya, enough. I've become a danger to my comrades, a danger to the mission and a danger to those I'm supposed to protect. I'm not suitable for commanding my own Spartans anymore, much less any other kind of troop. Give Fred any and all information he may need to continue in my place."

She shut her mouth again, his voice holding a tone of authority that brokered no argument. She stuck to looking at him with a sorrow in her eyes, one caused only by the inability to help her longtime companion at his time of need. John looked away from her gaze, knowing that he was a lost cause, nothing more. The eleven made their way back, all equipped with thrusters to aid their fall to come. They looked at him again, not like a few seconds prior where they hadn't been sure about how to react, but rather awaiting a command. He grunted again and slipped a hand to the back of his helmet, taking out the empty chip that he'd protected for so long, that had housed Kalmiya in his head. He stepped close to Fred and held it out to him.

"You're in command, Fred. Kalmiya will get you up to speed on the defenses and anything else you'll need to know. Keep her safe." Seeing the thin piece of metal in his hands, Fred knew he was being passed the most emblematic torch that John could give. He took it, but not without grabbing his brother in steel's hand. "I'll hang on to her until you come back. We're not going to let you cast yourself aside, understand?"

He nodded, though it held as much vigor as his mood. Fred let go and walked towards Kalmiya, motioning for her to get on. She touched it and the center of the fabric of metal glowed gold like her figure. He placed her at the back of his helmet and shivered for half a second. John almost chuckled internally, knowing what it was like for the AI to feel his every nerve. The new leader motioned his head, as silent as John when he gave the orders, and the group headed to the terrace. Fred began.

"Kalmiya, on my mark, you'll knock down every defense this building controls and lock every door for these rooms. Let everyone think that we've barricaded ourselves in and waste their time trying to capture us. Drop the shields long enough for us to get out of range and then turn them back on. When we reach groundside, make out the best trajectory out of the city where the troops are least concentrated. We'll make the most of our time in the air." John winked green, as did everyone else, an act he'd grown unaccustomed to do. He simply shook his head and his thoughts from the subject, knowing he was better off taking command than giving it with his mental instability.

"On my mark… _mark_!" Everything in the building shut down, and the shields flickered off. John and the rest jump, the Spartan waiting a bit for the others to pass first, not used to not leading the charge. His jetpack ran on the camouflage's power and he took flight considerably easily. Fred led the group like the frontrunner in a flock of birds. Seven and a half foot-tall, green, metallic birds, more like. From the corner of his eye, he could see Banshees circling the building, now coated in a blue shield of plasma once more. Phantoms were also inbound, coming from below and passing through the clouds to reach the highest level.

A signal from Fred and the group headed down a few hundred meters, making it just above the grey blanket that hid everything below it. "We're going in through the clouds and we'll stick there for as long as we can. We can't hide our heat signatures and we'll pop in on their radars, but at least they'll have a hard time finding where they can shoot us."

With that, the group made it through the grey clouds, following through with the map Kalmiya had updated on their visors, dodging enemy bogies that flew their way. They became many too soon, and John knew fights were coming shortly. He had half a mind to lead the troops now that soon they would find themselves in the heat of battle in the skies no less, but he was quick to remind himself that another had stepped up to the task. The first of the Banshees came and attacked, not doing much damage before being taken out of the skies to fall in pieces of burnt steel. More flocked them, and it wasn't long before they were surrounded.

The clouds helped avoid shots, but the odds were turning against them. Phantoms came and fell behind, losing them in the sea of white mist. Soon enough, he could see the shadow of a Lich, it being larger than that of a Scarab's with its length surpassing a hundred meters. More of the one-man aircrafts got closer by the sides, and John brooded internally, knowing the best way to get his team out. With finality in his tone, he ordered, "Alice, Jorge, hijack the incoming Banshees. You'll provide the others a safer way out of the city and the where the battle will be at its worst. Fred, call for evac as soon as the first ships come through. Hold off anyone that tries to shoot you in your way. I'll take care of the Lich. One-one-seven, out."

Before they could say anything, he redirected his boosters. Doing so, he shot upwards, the shadow of the giant troop transport retaking its violet shades with the clouds out of the way. Much to his relief, the invading armada arrived, taking the home fleet by surprise. Most of the planet being worried about Xolobhar Yrnt falling, no one had the time to expect, much less prepare for the SA's ships. It would be a few minutes before they arrived to the fields, but until then, John had to take care of their pursuers.

Painfully moving his forefinger and pulling the trigger, he placed a green round on the turret-manning Unggoy that had been unfortunate enough to get in his way. The Element Zero shields dropped and the Spartan fired again. Now getting the bullet through, he got close enough to land on the small platform and throw the grunt aside, the small opening for the turret giving him entrance to the ship. Entering, he spent most of his accumulated grenades at the splitjawed aliens commanding the cannon fodder. His plasma grenades ignited theirs, and soon the entire room lit up in a blue flash of a chain reaction. Corpses accumulated on the ground, John was surprised to see there were only two floors as opposed to the average three.

He ignored the anomaly to inspect the bodies. Rachni and Unggoy littered the floor alike, their corpses painting the room with their gore while what little remained of the Sangheili were but scorched limbs. John looked at the bodies and, squinting his eyes, he could not find one of the armored reptilians to bear the colors of an officer or a leader to the platoon. Then he heard slow, heavy steps heading his way and turned to the left, where through the ramp, a Raider walked in his direction. A single floor being sacrificed so the four meter beast of worm and metal could fit was reasonable enough to John, and he immediately knew he could not beat it in the ship and with his hand battered.

He ran, finding that the dozens of bodies on the ground followed him quickly, but not enough to hit him as he made it to the ramp and the second floor. He knew what his best option was, and without stopping, he headed to the core of the ship, the giant's footsteps following him too quickly than a warrior of its size should be able to. Knowing he was up against the toughest walking unit the Covenant had to give and a _biotic_ at that, he was better off running. Finding himself before the glowing orb that powered the ship, he flinched and grunted when he hit it with his right palm and broke the glass. Out of hand-sized explosives, John shot at it with his carbine several times, soon enough producing steam or smoke.

The next second he froze, his Carbine sent to the other end of the ship while his body was forced to stand straight and turn. He looked at the deep blue titan before him, electric green eyes glaring into his soul. Another second and his arms and legs were as stretched as far as his body could allow, but they kept going, the pain making John grind his teeth together. The Raider began to tear his skin with its act, but an explosion from behind the Spartan and it lost concentration, hitting the sealing as the aircraft fell.

The Super Soldier hit it too, feeling the beginning of his legs and his shoulders ache as the skin tore slightly to expose his raw muscle, the elongating taking a toll on his body. He shut his eyes and used his jet pack to move forwards, forcing his limits and not allowing himself to die for a moment of respite. He left the ship, his shields fully charged when the Raider bade its fare well with a final shot of the green mass of plasma charged from his right palm. It hit him perfectly in the back, his strong shields lasting well enough while the thrusters burnt themselves with the heat of the blast. The height had been that of a few dozen meters, his shields charging partially and taking the brunt of the force of his impact.

He lay in the crater he made for a few seconds, his exposed knuckles, torn skin, and now hammered body forcing him to lay there for a bit. Through his comms, he heard, "_John_! _Fred here_, _we saw the Lich fall from the sky and your readings aren_'_t doing well_. _We_'_re heading your way with SA forces to retake the city_! _We_'_ll be there in ten minutes_."

John tried to answer, finding himself to be too tired to respond to his brother in arms. A familiar thumping motivated him to get up and start to limp away, regaining his footing. A tree hit him in the back and knocked him back down, making him blink several times to regain his sighting. This time, it hadn't flared blue like the bodies that had been tossed in his direction, and he forced himself on his back to find the Raider before him again. Looking at it, the green behemoth found a large stray piece of metal lodged in its back where its weak spot was. Perhaps it had been what had prevented the titan from using telekinesis to hunt him further. Either ways, it had won, and John would be the first casualty of the famed Spartans. How it killed him to have spoken so recently of the subject and convinced his team to pull through alive.

He heard Fred calling his name a few more times, but nothing stopped the Raider from pointing its right arm at him, and nothing stopped the eerie emerald glow brightening in its palm. John felt a swarm of regrets hounding his mind in his last seconds of life. He'd failed the SA, Humanity, Mendez and Halsey, and worst of all, his Spartans. He couldn't even save his mother when she needed him the most. And then he saw the cannon to be a mercy. He shut his eyes and heard two booms.

He opened his eyes again to see a burnt black crater next to his form and a large Spartan charging at the titan with twin FRGs in his hands. The barrage, was soon accompanied by that of five others at its exposed flesh of grubs, in no small part due to the piece of Lich debris in its back. It quickly fell as dead as John should have been a few seconds past. He looked at the giant and thought he could hug Sam. He felt his heart stop when he saw the number '066' written on his chest. "_Soren_?"

The strongest of all the Spartans let out a low laugh, picking John up by his shoulders and getting him up with an ease that only he possessed with his overwhelming strength. "What an odd way to say 'thank you', boss."

He looked around and saw the numbers of the Spartans. He recognized so many of those he expected would live to be crippled or worse for the rest of their lives instead standing as strong as those that had fought for the last decade. He couldn't find the words to express his shock when out of the shadows popped thirty-six more, all geared and ready for battle. Every one of the 'failed attempts' had been rehabilitated, and all looked at him, awaiting orders as they had in the days when Mendez trained them and drained them of every ounce of energy they could give. Every ounce of hatred or resentment he may have once had against the alien races he called allies were now completely erased and forgotten.

They looked at him the same way Blue Team had looked at him, the same way the makeshift team formed a few hours before had. They looked for the Spartan whose specialty was that of leadership. _They can put me down once this is over_, He looked over at Soren who handed him a pair of Plasma Rifles, _But right now_, _my brethren need me_. He took the rifles and in a baritone voice, he took command of the group. "We regroup with Fred and the others. From there, we'll split up and take the city. The SA is coming through and winning the fleet's battles, and if this homeworld's retaking is anything like the others, then drop pods should be inbound within a few minutes. Any soldier we find along the way, we rally. Let's go."

With that, the inconceivably large group of Super Soldiers left, pulverizing enemy forces that were unfortunate enough to get in their way, taking the city back in an hour's time. By the time the Pelicans had arrived for extraction, Kalmiya had been returned to him, and she kept her silence as he looked at the floor, sullen and defeated in an entirely different manner for an entirely different reason.

**13:32 – December 7th, 2539 – Undisclosed Location**

Parangosky sat on her desk, looking at the results of the project that she'd invested in more than a decade ago. Project Sera had proved to be a success of the sorts, the Humans prevailing over the denoted 'Locust' after fourteen years of war. They had ended up destroying themselves in great part, and between a the deranged human opponents, their queen-like leader, and a parasite taking over both sides of the party referred to as 'Lambent', they found the only viable solution to the war of mass proportions to be a planet-wide super weapon. They ended up crippled, and along the way, they had used augmentations to create better 'Gears', or so they called their soldiers, who got the task done. The weapon was effective, however, and exterminated all life that pertained to their enemy's troops and beasts and everything infected with the 'Lambent' type parasite.

She found herself satisfied with the results, no one asking for a few million missing Humans with countless colonies raided and glassed. She only needed to take the survivors from destroyed worlds towards the beginning of the war and pass them off as dead, and no one had ever suspected her works. Now she was done, and while she had been inclined to extract some of the 'Lambent' parasite native to the planet 'Sera' to be used as a biological weapon, she held off and remained as nothing more than an observant of her experiment. Knowing how their war had been very much like her own, only on a much smaller scale, she began to formulate ideas on how they could end the Covenant earlier than the Leadership expected. She knew, however, that there could be no loose ends.

An operative knocked on her door, and she opened. She stood, her expression ice-cold as she stated, "The bomb is in place. We're waiting for your leave to set it off."

The Admiral looked at the small glass with the golden whiskey bathing the large cubes of ice inside of it. "Activate the NOVA bomb. When it finishes its purpose, wipe out all evidence that there once was of Human civilization on Sera. The project is finished."

**Author's Notes: Well, this has been an eventful chapter, and I've finally written a plotline that I've had in my head since a few months back. So yeah, the mighty Master Chief has had represssed childhood memories remembered after witnessing a victim raped. Just to be clear, I in NO WAY condone rape. If anything, I made Master Chief kill the Jiralhanae quite brutally by his standards. So yeah, at least the crippled Spartans (the ones taken care of by Halsey, remember?) are back in the fight and are ready to turn the tide (the 75 Spartans are whole again). If you were wondering what I had done with Sera, well, this chapter should clear it up and tie the loose ends. Other games or names used in games may be referrenced, but I've decided to take the whole 'mass-universe' idea down. I have more than enough material to work with from the two games this story is based on. If I neeed anything, I'll create it. All in all, I hope you've enjoyed what I believe to be the most eventful chapter yet, and if this doesn't make you review, I honestly don't know what the hell will.**

**Update 08/19/15: This commentary is directed at Mods and Admins only. If the scene is still overstepping the M-rating, please PM me or let me know. I'd rather not change it considering the fact that I'm trying to depict war for what it is, but I'd much rather change it than have this all removed. If it's fine as it is, again, please PM me so I can rest assured that this story is fine. If it's not, give me a bit of time to change it and I'll do so. Hope the reports end here.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone, I'm back, and it hasn't been as long as I've (sadly) made you wait before. A friend visiting for three weeks and coming up with ideas for an actual original story (not fanfiction) has been what I've dedicated the most part of my time to. That and starting school, beginning to work on my thesis, reuiniting with friends, starting senior year and a couple more things that I won't bore you with.**

**What I want to talk about of actual importance here regards those controversial 'scenes' I placed last chapter. I've made it clear before that war brings out the worst from us all, and that I would depict that sooner or later, but I feel like I wasn't being sensitive enough about the subject in last chapter's Notes. Rape is, what I consider, the absolute worst crime that could ever be committed. It's both a form of physical and psychological torture that often leads to severe trauma in the victim and her (or sometimes his) family. I wrote what I wrote as vaguely as I could, no mention of a penis or a vagina, but I wrote it anyways. That is not to say that I in any way condone such a crime, and I do deeply apologize for any of you viewers who have had the terrible misfortune of suffering from an act or have had close one, aquaintance or just someone you know who's suffered through it. Again, the criminals I depicted last chapter I killed (I can only stand so much without needing to write vengeance in return), but I still write for those who have experienced anything alike what I wrote about. My story was reported for this, and I understand that there were certain things that could have exceeded this website's limits and modified it to be even vaguer and less descriptive. One way or another, I hope you're still with me on this story, and without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Palamok's Colonies**

**December 7****th****, 2539**: Eayn has been taken back after the makeshift Spartan II team pulled through with their mission and after receiving the aid of the rehabilitated Spartan IIs. With Halsey's research, aided by the knowledge of the wisest San'Shyuum, the Super Soldiers that suffered from Parkinson's disease, crippled statuses and other hampering conditions were cured. The addition of three and a half dozen more of Humanity's greatest soldiers has boosted the morale in the Alliance troops a great deal, and with it, they retook the Kig-Yar's homeworld before the day was over.

Chieftain Captain Lydus has taken the Spartan IIIs from Colonel Ackerson and has relocated them to the _Unyielding Hierophant_ for improved surgeries and operations. The Colonel was also to be tried on his decision to throw away the three hundred candidates as 'expendable Super Soldiers'. In the meantime, the Captain decided that they'll take residence in the SA's military headquarters until the materials for high-grade augmentations, including the metal coating to their bones, and full-set Mjolnir armors. Spartan 051 will remain with them until the day comes, and will be considered as one of the main candidates to lead them to battle as their field commander.

**January 1****st****, 2540**: The Spartan IIIs recovered from the perfected augmentations originally given to their previous generations. Equipped with personalized and diversified Mjolnir armor husks, their now active for duty statuses have been widespread through the SA. Word that three hundred more of the Super Soldiers that had aided in the war, apart from the forty-two recently recovered, has given a massive morale boost to the Alliance. With the dawn of the new decade, those of the Leadership have opted for soldiers to be motivated to win the war before the decade is done. The Spartan IIIs will be divided into groups of four to be led by a Spartan II so they can be prepared and trained on the last aspects of battle.

**June 1****st****, 2540**: The boost in strength the SA received was quickly made known to the High Prophets. An army of several hundred, little more than a thousand ships arrived on Harvest weeks back and overwhelmed the defending fleets and all orbital defenses. The colony was glassed, and only a few dozen ships made it out with a couple thousand inhabitants each. Though this was done in a short span to several other worlds of different kinds and species, the loss of Harvest gave a severe blow to the SA's soldiers, considering how it was the first and one of the most important missions coed by UNSC and Separatists made to recover and save the planet. The Spartans have been placed in groups per planet in order to recover and prevent more colonies from falling.

It has been rumored that with so many events happening, the Covenant took the advantage of the cost of their homeworlds to concentrate their armies and vessels in those they've kept. The same rumors state that they have been mass producing ships in order to create the fleet that has taken out so many worlds in such short notice. Hacked comms have reported it to be named 'The Fleet of Sacred Penance'. It is believed that the _Hammer of Reprisal_ leads it, with the Chieftain General of the Jiralhanae Maccabeus at the head of it all. All that is known is that it is always on the move, and never once has it been caught without them knowing since their first sighting.

With the situation as tense and unpredictable, the SA plans to push forwards to breach Palamok and take back the fourth homeworld. Having already claimed half of the main worlds once in the Covenant's possession has given a feel of being at a more even standpoint with the religious hegemony, even more so considering how much each side has gained and lost. Billions have died since the start of the war, and more continue to fall to their graves as it progresses. The Leadership believes that having the fourth homeworld will allow them to rock the edge in their favor, and because of that, they'll send a considerate amount of soldiers to suppress the defending garrisons. Chieftain Captain Tartarus will lead the fleet of six hundred with the Imperial Admiral Arbiter Xytan Jar 'Wattinra leading the ground troops.

**05:56 – June 1****st****, 2540 – CASTLE Base, New Alexandria Outskirts, Nexus, Reach**

She waited anxiously for his arrival. A part of her had not wanted to be involved with something as sour as the matter in question, preferring mission reports over psychological issues. And yet, she knew it was her burden to bear, as it was her mistake that led to the meltdown of one of her prodigious children. Children. A part of her wanted to believe that she had adopted the six year olds and given them a purpose in life rather than accept the fact that she stole them from their homes and destroyed anything and everything they could have been. _There's no point in dwelling over something that happened fifteen years ago_,she thought, _and yet, that's the 'something' that's causing all this_.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the strong knocks on the metal door to her office. Looking at the time on her monitor, she read the time. Six in the morning, not a minute sooner or later.

"Come in," she said. The minute she did, she opened the door, and in stepped a behemoth of a man covered from head to toe in the olive green armor she had devised herself. He waited for the doors to close and then took of his helmet, revealing a scarred, worn face. Bags thrived under his eyes, a sharp contrast with his impossibly pale skin. Small scars painted his face a light pink here and there, but his most notable one was one that started at the middle of his left cheek and ran down to the edge of his jaw. His face may have very well been made of stone, for not a trace of emotion could be seen in his face. Even his dark brown eyes did not quickly tell his state and motivation, but she had learned to read them long ago.

The determination and duty that once filled and brightened them dwindled, losing the vigor that showed his energy. Sadness and loss were present there as well, having welled up over the years after taking too much part in the war. Before she would not have seen them, for his resolve often kept them away and out of focus, but now they seemed to be the strongest presence in them. And to top it all off, she could make out anger and resentment, no doubt at her. It wasn't but a fragment, and he was still excellent at hiding himself under a mask, but she could tell that it was directed at her.

"Doctor Halsey." His salute was short as always, but stiffer and colder than she'd remembered. She grimaced inwardly before responding, "John, please take a seat."

He complied and sat in the custom chair she'd ordered to be made to withstand his weight. The warrior was reluctant at first, but soon allowed his weight to give in to gravity. She cleared her throat when she knew he wouldn't start the conversation and began, "I'm sorry it took so long for this meeting to take place, but with the Leadership ordering me to look over the Spartan III augmentation procedures and have three hundred Mjolnir suits made, I didn't have more time for anything."

"I understand." His reply felt empty, along with his voice. A few more seconds of silence plagued the room before he chose to speak again. "I would like to have my biological mother's psychiatric report as well as my own before my recruitment."

His statement was clear and straight to the point, as she had taught him to do so, and yet her shock was not easily dwelled. "I know what you are thinking, John, and I doubt it's necessary that-"

"I need to know if there's a chance that I will endanger my team and the mission again." Being interrupted was something that Halsey wasn't used to. The few times that she was, it was by an operative that was quickly enough put in his or her place again. Hearing one of her Spartans cut her off completely threw her off. Especially John, no less.

"John, what happened to you as a child will stay in the past, I've personally made time to see the chances of you blacking out again on the battlefield. They are next to none, and reliving your traumatic memories has been the way your mind 'expelled' it all the same out of your system. Sending you the reports will take your mind off the mission."

"It _won't_." Again, she was surprised by his stubbornness coupled with his firm response. She was going to explain on, keeping her patience in spite of the situation, but he continued before she could talk. "Did you know I knocked out Jorge's shields the one time I punched him?"

She fell silent as guilt swarmed her and looked at the Spartan's fist. The green alloy that made his Mjolnir armor along combined with that which coated his bones was what covered his knuckles. Having taking advantage of the situation, she had him given the new green 'skin' with power nodes within them strong enough to drain average shields entirely. And yet, it was a grim reminder of the bout John had gotten in. "Yes, I read the reports."

He looked at her and then turned his gaze to the ground, his voice lowering, "Five men attacked my mother and I before the police arrive. I can't remember their faces or their voices, but every time I saw her in a vision, I saw those five shadows following her. When I saw the Jiralhanae… _violating_ the woman, I saw him as one of the shadows. According to Serin, I shattered his skull by the third punch. According to her, I punched the ground where it should have been twenty-nine more times. When Jorge grabbed me, I didn't see his arms, I saw a shadow's arms.

"I… I saw my teams arms as the shadows that beat me and my mother and I felt the urge to kill them. I don't think I remember ever feeling as much anger in my life as I did then. I don't think I remember ever _feeling_ as much as I did then. If they hadn't been as much as they were, I may not have snapped out of it. I could have… _would_ have tried to kill them when I felt like I was done with the Jiralhanae. What if I_ had_? What if I _hurt_ my team? My _Spartans_? _My family_?"

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was being reprimanded by a superior and that she deserved every bit of it. John didn't scream, sometimes she wondered if he was physically capable of doing so. But as of yet, this was the closest she had ever heard him get to. For all her knowledge in biology and technology and war, she had never felt more like an idiot than she did when she stared at him with a blank gaze and a half opened mouth. John turned his gaze on her and sighed.

"I don't want the reports to see who I am or find out who my parents were or what my last name used to be. I'm a Spartan and nothing will ever change that, for better or for worse. What I want to know is if I am still a danger to those around me, to know if I'm more of a liability than an asset now to the SA. All I ask is that you show me her name on it. Not the last name, not my last name, just her name."

She looked down and mulled it over. For whatever it was worth, the Spartan still kept a respectful tone for her and requested rather than commanded. Her hands tied, in a way, she gave in and stated, "You'll receive a full report by the end of the day."

"Thank you, ma'am. Permission to leave?" His voice was a bite satisfied, but still held on to the melancholy it had present since the start of the conversation. She gave a sad nod. "Granted."

He stood up, placed back on his helmet and saluted her, more out of custom than requirement. Just before he stepped out of the door, he turned his head halfway and asked, "Did you know of my repressed trauma? Before the recruitment?"

She felt the pit in her stomach deepen when she looked at the golden visor. "Yes."

"Then _why_ did you recruit me, knowing I could have endangered others?"

For the first time in the conversation, she saw the chance to lead him away from the self-incriminating mood he had been in for so long. "Because I saw _potential_ in you, John. I saw potential when I saw you tower over the other kids your age and beat them in all the games they made. I saw potential when you showed me your lucky coin and said on which face it could and _would_ land."

"So you saw potential in a child with previous traumatic involvements and the possibility of harming the others over those in better conditions because of a coin and some luck?" The way he stated it made Halsey feel foolish again, but she swallowed the lump in her throat. With all the confidence she could muster, she replied, "Yes."

The Spartan stood still as a statue for what could have been a minute. Without so much as speaking one more word, he turned back to the hallway and walked out the door.

**09:34 – June 1****st****, 2540 – Unyielding Hierophant**

She awoke from her chair to hear incessant coughing. Near stumbling out, she leaned on the bed again and grasped the frail old hand, giving all the wordless comfort she had to give. His skin, once between tan and brown had turned a pasty white that seemed to belong more to a corpse than to that of a live person. It had been three years since he fell into such a terrible condition, but his presence in the meetings had become much scarcer in the three years before them. Now Faith had to manage her time between handling the war for her, the SA and Malevolence and take care of the dying old man as well. More often than not, it cost her the precious few hours of sleep she had. He opened his eyes, a blue so pale, they may have belonged to a blind man's.

"_Child… you're still here… It's time you… stopped fret_-" Malevolence stopped and closed his eyes before hacking again. By now, his old lungs were the only things capable of making his body spasm more than anything else could in the past few centuries of his life. He opened his eyes again as Faith leveled a flask of soft cupam to his lips with a good few painkillers within. His throat ceased to betray him and his eyes fluttered shut. Faith began to get up, presuming he fell asleep when she heard him murmur. "_Live… forget… me… win… war… build… New Jan_-"

Faith gave a deep sigh as his drugged mind drove him into a subconscious state again. His sickness was one common for those of their kind that had reached their dying years. Jurd Xren, the Minor Prophet of Malevolence, had reached his nine hundred and third year a few weeks past. It made Faith think how cruel it was that so many of the undesirables of her kind were privileged with a life that surpassed a millennium while her foster father near reached his limit at nine centuries. It made her think of how she may have just passed a third of her life, at three hundred and seven years of life.

Normally, a San'Shyuum reaching a new century in his or her life received a celebration noteworthy of such an era, and Prophets could have up to week-long feasts in their honor. Hers and Malevolence's had been short and lacking, one of the many '_gifts_' the war had had for the two. With all the terrible things she had seen and heard and read over such a short period of time, she had made a personal note that if there truly were Gods and an afterlife, she might damn well berate them for not doing their job better.

She shook her head at the notion and walked out, still wearing the elegant robes she had on yesterday. Looking for her gravity throne, she found it just outside the elder's room along with her pristine, golden crown. After considering how she had passed her third hundredth year of life, her numerous contributions to the war and the politics to keep a good grasp on their own subjects, they had given her the title of the High Prophet of Faith. She had been cheered for when she was designated as the ultimate leader of her kind and one of the SA's main icons, but she could not have felt more empty with just about everything if she tried. Power, she had learned, was more burden than privilege. Those whom thought it was the other way around did not last long with said power, or their lives, for that matter.

Looking around, she found a lone Chieftain of violet armor walking towards the same direction she was headed. Not too far ahead of her, she got a better view of the Jiralhanae that headed towards the SA meeting. "It is good to see you, Captain Taurus."

"Likewise, hierarch. How does the Prophet of Malevolence fare?" His reply, as courteous as it was, lacked vigor she'd seen in him before. The younger brother of the Captain sent to retake Palamok with the Arbiter had started to become more like Lydus, little by little. Somberness tended to accompany his tone when speaking to her or those not of his close intimacy. Only those he could call family could bring alive the bits and pieces of his true self that had managed to remain intact. To the rest of the world, the mirthful and malicious Captain had died along with the Covenant's Lieutenant Maladus.

"As well as a man his age can get. All I can do is pray that his suffering ends, whether it's his lung disease that leaves him or him that leaves his body." Her voice fell at the last part, not wanting to part with her longtime mentor for at least one more decade. Making eye contact with the strong warrior, she could tell he perceived her sadness. "Perhaps he may leave us tomorrow, perhaps he may leave us in three more decades. One way or another, at least he has gotten the benefit of a long, prosperous life. These next few years may be sour for him, but at least he has had a long lifetime for which to thank for, and his name will be immortal with the legacies he has passed down to us all."

"Just so…" Faith trailed from her words, thinking if she should dare ask the question that failed to leave her mind. "Taurus."

"Yes, your Grace?"

"How do you cope with the death of your comrades, if I may ask?" For a second she thought he was going to shy away from the question, make an excuse for 'another time' that would never come, as she would have likely done. Instead, she got a gaze that pierced the depths of her soul. In his eyes, the only feeling present she could read was that of saddened resignation. "I've come to terms with who I am."

"How so?" She felt ever more curious with his elusive answer, and forgot her manners when she pried further. Taurus's gaze left her and turned to the corridor again. "I am one of this war's, as well as my kind's, greatest scoundrels."

She stayed silent for a few seconds to open her mouth and offer consoling words when he cut her off before she could begin. "I know you're going to try to defend me, say it was all an 'accident', but you know better than that as well as I. Killing a brother is not an accident, a tragedy if anything, but not an accident. Killing two is a fiend's work. There are just one too many factors and details that could have gone differently and all three of us would be alive, perhaps even on the same side. But… here I stand, and there they lay.

"Do you know what it's like? To drag one's corpse with the wound your dagger made? Or to recover the other one's body from a ruin you created? Parabus's body was at least very much intact, but Maladus… all I found of him was his upper half. Anything below his ribs was _pulverized_ in a shot I took. But for all it was worth, perhaps I forgave myself because the thought of them being in my position feeling the same things is not as foreign as I'd like to believe it is. And I would be damned if the only thing I'd be to them long after my body rots is nothing but a burden to weigh their spirits down. That's how I came to terms with their deaths. Be thankful that it is age that is stealing Malevolence from us and not your own hands that are stained with his gore."

The dark conversation led Faith to only look frontwards in solemn silence, preferring not to disturb the grief riddled giant further. Looking ahead to the Headquarters' main doors, a list of places she would rather be in flashed in her mind before she tuned them out and prepared herself for the next reunion.

**14:31 – June 1****st****, 2540 – Sicavel Outskirts, Kitashi, Sivaas, Palamok**

From a distance, Forge could see the largeness of the titanic hive growing more in size as the group got closer. Thousands of Covenant Banshees and Yanme'e and other aerial vehicles circled the massive place, protecting it at all costs as they created what may have very well been a small, organic hurricane. Their own dropships were formed in bird like formations to fly through wave after wave after wave to storm the city. And Forge was in the Phantom at the head of it all, or rather, standing next to the warrior at the head of it all.

It had been a while since the Major fought against someone large enough for him to have to turn his head entirely upwards to make eye contact. Xytan 'Jar Wattinra had broken the bar the previous, far more aggressive Arbiter had set. Wattinra, however was even taller, slightly under three meter's height _without_ counting his helmet's ornamental headdress. While the Arbiter's armor was stretched to fit his size, the helmet had not fitted and instead remained with that which belonged to the Imperial Admiral and had it repainted in platinum grey.

His personality, however, was as formidable as his strength. Not unlike 'Moramee, the titan of a Sangheili relied on endless fuels vigor, but was not half as stupid as his dead Covenant counterpart. Master of arms and strategy, the damn elite also had more than enough strength in voice to become perhaps the most able commander of his kind. Only minutes away from the hive-like metropolis, he turned around to his men, put his finger in his earpiece and started.

"Warriors of the Alliance! On this day, we shall take back a fourth homeworld from the Covenant's grasp and bring this war closer to an end! On this day, we shall remind them that our strength roots from that of our ancestors and those of the old, the strength with which we shall hurl our enemies into the ground and crush their skulls with the metal on our heels! On this day, we shall bring forth the next step to destroy the Covenant and free our homes from them! On this day, we shall reign victorious!"

Though Unggoy and Kig-Yar, Human and Yanme'e, and even some Jiralhanae hailed the speech, all the sound they made was engulfed by the roar of the thousands of Sangheili aboard the ships. Forge near tore his earpiece off to avoid going deaf before even arriving to the main battlefields. Booms overhead gave the invading force confidence, knowing that the fleet under Tartarus's and his comrades' command was overwhelming the planetary fleet quickly enough. All that came now was the wait to storm the planet's capital and for the opposing aerial forces to clash, with the Separatists set to deploy all the troops they could land in it.

Sicavel was as unique as each of the other homeworlds' capitals, and just as different as the other capitals were to the average Human city. Composed of several colossal hives of metalloids as brown as the ground they were built on, all were interconnected with bridges sprouting from all sides of their middle levels. They looked like the missing link between an ant's hill and a bee's hexagonal hive. The floors were barren of technology and metal and had only soil, grass and, in certain sectors, trees and bushes and plants. Perfectly organized for a hierarchic society. And now, it was their sole duty to take it back and eliminate the King and Queen of the capital's hive.

"_Banshees, onwards_!" At the Arbiter's orders, the mauve and green wyverns sped past the dropship and attacked the floating whirlpool that defended the city. Hell was set loose and the sky was painted with a barrage of colors, the neon colored shots lightening the bright blue plane. The Phantom's alarms blared and soon it descended below to the ground. For once, Forge felt the urge to yell at the men like he was used to. "C'mon, everyone to the ground! Move it!"

Hopping to the hard black soil, he watched the Phantom leave to keep the hovering foes off their backs for a while more, aiding the Hornets and Banshees in their plight. He heard a pair of boots pounding on the ground and finding them to be those that belonged to the Arbiter. The thunder of a landing brought all attention to him, including that of the Jiralhanae nearby. With his right arm, he raised one of his twin Energy Swords and activated it. Forge saw how many of the Covenant forces stopped immediately in their tracks when they saw the Admiral roar to the heavens, igniting a chain reaction that led all others to follow his lead.

And then they charged, practically trampling and bulldozing any enemy that they hadn't finished killing. His ears used to listening his shotgun boom as frequently as it did, he remained one of the few who kept his hearing intact. He wondered if this was how the battles before the formation of the SA were like. Swarming the enemy to the point of turning the fight into a mad slaughter. He had stopped caring halfway through when the adrenaline begged for more of the grand scaled battle.

Somehow, he ran ahead of the troops and found himself shoving the barrel of his weapon into the mouth of a Major with a steel mallet in his hands. The next second and it was gone, leaving Forge to pick up the Gravity Hammer and throw it in a spear-like fashion at a group of drones heading down to their position. Needless to say the blast had near pulverized the group of five, leaving their corpses to fall the rest of the way down. Unleashing his line of grenades from their holster, he took out ten more before a Sangheili made his way towards him before he could react.

He didn't even have time to get stressed when Wattinra decapitated the Covie after amputating her blade wielding arm. Both being several dozen meters ahead of the SA wave, they turned back to back as several of the Specops Elites ran with naught but their kind's most emblematic weapon. Holstering his shotgun within seconds and picking up the energy weapon on the ground, he stood back to back with the Arbiter. The next moments, in the midst of the fight with several Sangheili of the wetwork branch, he couldn't help but find the irony that the last time he fought with as much vigor, he was against the platinum skinned Arbiter.

He found himself running with the group again, the Covie forces strengthening the closer they got and weakening their wave. His mind stopped processing and remembering every little detail with all the fighting going on, not having been through an hour-long experience of run-on warring and shooting. Instincts far older and more primal than himself took over his mind and his body. What little remained contemplated if it was this that the Jiralhanae called 'blood rage'. In a way, it was not unlike taking several shots of the strongest vodka, he thought. Such a bitter taste to run down his throat and such a sour mood to put himself in, and yet the intoxicated trance it gave him was nothing short of addicting. For every enemy's life he took, two more he wanted to bring down under.

But for all his stamina and lingering bloodlust, he heard someone in the smaller crowd behind him scream, "_LOOK OUT! ABOVE!_"

He wasn't sure if it was directed at himself, it could have been her warning a fellow comrade against a soaring grenade. It was the explosion that made him stop. Above the cobalt skies, he saw one of their Assault Carrier's surviving pieces fall not so far away from them. He hardly had time to stop, and before he could jump back, the violet piece landed meters from him. He wasn't sure if his flying would stop, but if it wasn't, then he was grateful for the wall quite far behind him that stopped his trajectory.

It might have killed him were it not for his shields, but the fall from the wall down like a splattered grub had winded him. Senses and reasoning returning to him, he looked up from the ground to look at the fleet being destroyed, hundreds more having appeared and taken them by surprise. They could have been two thousand, if Forge wasn't seeing doubles. He coughed up a stray bit of blood that had made its way from his mouth to his lung, scratching his throat too hard for his liking. Trying to get up, he felt a large, golden arm grasp him by the neck to take a good look at him.

His vision blurry, he saw the small, white visor that his golden helm had. Similar to that of an Honor Guard's yet far more intricate, he knew that he faced Chieftain General Maccabeus, and with him, his fleet. Too dazed to struggle, he watched the giant's head tilt curiously to the side, as he murmured not quite as loudly as others of his kind would. "_Major J. Forge…_"

"_MACCABEUS!_" The General gave an exasperated sigh, weary and annoyed that his analysis be interrupted. He tossed Forge away, where several corpses of the SA laid. He landed badly on his right leg, feeling himself cringe as his ankle twisted. Dragging himself away from the giant, he leaned against a wall formed by the scraps of the ship´s wreckage. He noticed, in fact, that a ring had formed around where he was. Atop the wreckage was a Covenant Phantom which he could only guess was Maccabeus's own.

At one end of the arena, the Admiral unsheathed his second energy sword, apparently perfectly unharmed by the large heaps of molten metal that had rained on them all. On the other, the General took the dreaded _Fist of Rukt_ and held it in an unnervingly relaxed manner. Neither move, and learning that the Chieftain had not the intention of speaking first, he began, "Chieftain General, I, Xytan 'Jar Wattinra, Arbiter and Imperial Admiral of the Sangheili, in the name of the Old, challenge you to a duel for the countless crimes you've committed against the SA, be it against your kind and those that are not."

"Must every one of you damned Sangheili waste so much time with your pretentious and conceited speeches? Yes, I accept. Let this be done, Wattinra, I am frequently occupied with subjects of actual importance and I can't afford to waste any more time on you." The General's grunt was heavy with exasperation, turning on the father of all Gravity Hammer's personal shields and energy packs. Where most Sangheili would be enraged at his comment, Wattinra gave a proud laugh. "Perhaps that is because not one Jiralhanae has any ascendancy to be proud of, no legacy to pass to your children! My ancestors look upon me and smile, Maccabeus, can you say the same?"

"No. I couldn't care about from whom my bloodline could be traced back to. I have been too busy serving the Gods to do that. As opposed to you, I don't spend my days licking the dead's cocks." He said nothing more and charged at the Sangheili. The Admiral raised his sword when Maccabeus raised his hammer. They clashed, plasma oozing from the contact between the energy powered weapons. The split second they stood as close to one another at full height, Forge saw how the Arbiter had lost his height advantage when up against the leader of the Covenant's Jiralhanae. The giant stood at what was likely around two meters ninety, his helmet's own trimming giving him half a meter more.

The golden titan slid the hammer away from the swords, quickly avoiding the quick successive clashes that soon followed. The platinum titan, in turn, barely just ducked in time as a swing towards his head nearly sent him six feet under. Spinning and letting his blades cut the wind as he aimed at the golden titan, the Jiralhanae stumbled and fell on his back. Running to him to give the finishing stab, the golden titan delivered a kick to his chest that sent him reeling back. Landing on his feet, the two circled one another again while Forge could only watch, not having a weapon with which to aid the Admiral.

Finally, the clashing giants ran at one another and raised their weapons to smash into one another in a test of strength. Struggling against the Arbiter, his _Fist of Rukt_ came closer and closer to his head, letting the glowing vanes inch towards his form. One flash and it was over. Skidding the Energy Swords from his form and his hammer, he let go one hand to grasp his hidden dagger and stab the Admiral's left heart. Eyes widened in shock more than in pain, he let go his weapons to pull the hidden blade out. By the time he did, the General struck him in his knees. Roaring in pain, the SA's titan of platinum could only fall. Picking up the dagger from the floor and wiping the gore and grime on his shoulder pad, he sheathed it and picked up his mace once more. "Send your ancestors my regards."

And like the piece of the Assault Carrier plummeted and crushed so many of his troops, the General's hammer fell on the Arbiter's head. The metal was nearly destroyed and even his bones were entirely pulverized, leaving naught but his body and a lightly dented armor intact. Then he turned his sights on Forge. Walking towards him, Forge knew better than to crawl away, knowing he would not get far before being flattened like the Admiral. No, if he was to die, then he'd look the beast straight in the eye and deprive him of the pleasure of seeing his victim in fear.

Maccabeus was upon him, and this time, he grabbed him by the nape when he picked him up, not pressing his Adam's apple any further. In the same chilling, relaxed tone with which he regarded Wattinra, he spoke again. "Major John Forge, I recognize the name now. Speak and I'll kill you like I did the Admiral, and listen well for I'll not repeat it again. You will take this corpse with my Phantom and ride away on one of your fleeing ships. Show this to your leaders, so they can name a new Arbiter for me to kill. Show them that their time is done, as is our patience for your recklessness. If you wonder why I'm letting you go when I _should_ be killing you, then consider this me repaying my debt. Your aid in killing the previous Arbiter, no less softheaded than the one lying on this floor, has given room for others of his kind that lacked his immense stupidity to take his place. You've done the Covenant more kindness than malice with this, so consider this my one act of mercy throughout the war. Go, before I break your legs."

He was dropped, and Forge wasted no time in jogging as fast as his limp allowed. By the time he had gotten to the top of the metal ring and next to the dropship, he saw Maccabeus nowhere around. Getting on and hovering above the Admiral's corpse, he elevated it upwards and headed towards the sky. The whirlpool that formed around the capital was long since gone, its members either dead or fighting down in the city. The invading fleet, having lost more than half of its ships, was already beginning to retreat, Maccabeus's force ending their attempt at taking the planet. In his silence, Forge contemplated just how much luck he had. Surviving twice near damn impossible scenarios at the cost of thousands by a sheer stroke of fortune had led him to feel he had been blessed by the Lady Luck herself. Blessed. Blessed or damned, he could not tell. One way or another, all that he had witnessed since surviving Armageddon's destruction had given him plenty of reason to choose silence over a loud mouth.

**Author's Notes: Well, more Maccabeus being Maccabeus again, and the first unsuccessful retaking of a homeworld. I apologize for not making this chapter longer and making Forge a bit too much OOC, but war gets to everyone, as it can be seen with Taurus and how he acts around others now (remember how he was during the first four chapters?). I will try to write at a faster rate, but I can't promise anything. Maybe a few chapters won't be as long and extensive as others I've written, but I do want to get the war done with without skipping over the major events. Still, hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you in the next.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Notes: Well, it's been a little over a month but I finally give you the next chapter. After much mentions and hardly any appearances, we finally have the characters I've been waiting to put for a while. In the author's notes at the end of the chapter, I'll explain a whatever wasn't made clear here. Without further ado, please enjoy.**

**The Second Battle of Sicavel**

**June 1****st****, 2540:** The retaking of the Yanme'e homeworld Palamok was unsuccessful, with a near total decimation of the SA troops. With Maccabeus confirmed leading 'The Fleet of Sacred Penance', there was nothing Chieftain Captain Tartarus could do besides retreat when the opportunity came. Major John Forge reported in 'Retribution's Sword', the Captain's personal Assault Carrier, with Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinra's corpse. News of the Arbiter's death against the Chieftain General of the Jiralhanae spread like flames, leading to a quick, overall demoralization within the ranks of the SA troops.

**June 3****rd****, 2540:** The near-annihilated fleet reported back to the Unyielding Hierophant with the news of the failure. Though the Captain chose not to specify the manner of the departed Arbiter's death, rumors spread and fear in General Maccabeus and his fleet spread in mass. Though both rival galactic powers stand on even ground all things considered, many begin to question if the SA's initial strokes of victories relied on naught more than luck and that it has begun to run out.

**August 19****th****, 2540:** After little over two and a half months of disappearance, the Fleet of Sacred Penance nearly retook Te from the Alliance's grasp. Had it not been for the hundred ODPs, the home fleet and the Spartan IIs and IIIs stationed there, the Lekgolo's homeworld would have been lost. Though the home fleet was reduced to fifty ships, the ODPs' numbers lowered to thirty and several of the Spartans were left in almost critical conditions, seven hundred of the two thousand ships under Maccabeus's commands were destroyed or left dead in the water. Paranoia increases within the troops when rumors come and go that the ships and soldiers will be entirely replenished by the year's end.

**September 21****st****, 2540:** Having used the better part of a month's time to repair Te's defenses, the Leadership formulated a plan to retake Palamok without further interference. Having assigned all the Spartan IIIs to the mission as their final 'test' of endurance and strength before being fully integrated on all Special Operations formulated by the SA, the Leadership attempts to ensure victory with the mission planned with Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam at the head of it all. With so many Super Soldiers abled and fighting, the SA has decided to rank one of the IIs as the 'Supreme Commander of the Spartans' with the suggestion of the Sangheili leaders. When enough time passes, a Spartan III shall take the role of 'Supreme Lieutenant of the Spartans' as the Commander's right-hand soldier and leader.

**19:58 – September 21****st****, 2540 – Unyielding Hierophant Courtroom**

He carried himself about the station, none too excited about his predicament. John had figured that he had been too lucky for the SA to notice after so long just how mediocrely he carried himself in battles. Though they had let the 'December Event of '39' slide without much difficulty, he was sure by now that they knew of his loss of motivation. He followed orders and led if needed be, but where before he had assured safe victories with next to no losses, he now found hard without something nearly blowing the whole operation off.

He walked into the large semicircular room and headed towards the middle, where a pedestal was made for the judged. In the circular part of the room was an elevated floor for the judges themselves, all of which entered come the minute's end. From the Vice Chairman of the UNSC Defense Committee to one of the sibling Chieftain Captains of the Jiralhanae, his was a trial that required those of upmost importance to be the heads of the court. The digital clock at the top of the room turn to twenty hundred hours and John saluted. A curt nod was their response and he let his arm return to a normal position.

"First Lieutenant Spartan-117 of the United Nation Space Command, do you recall the events that occurred towards the end of last year?" Hood asked formally, if not a bit coldly, but if such a thing wasn't expected from the Vice Chairman, he would be terrible at his job. "Yes, sir, I do."

"Do you deny that the actions you took that day, though not lethal or unwarranted, were that of a man suffering from a severe mental breakdown?" The question was made by a Kig-Yar whose name he did not recall, the representative showing not a shred of emotion laced to his voice as was his kind's custom. "No, ma'am."

"Do you deny the fact that you have demonstrated a severe lack of motivation to make room for what could be the slightest bit of mediocrity as compared to your decorated career?" The third question was made by Taurus. Though his question was the most incriminating, his was the voice to show the most empathy out of the judges yet. "No, sir."

"How do you propose we handle this, Spartan?" The Special Operations Commander did not display sarcasm and derision as another would have with such a question, genuinely stating his intrigue. John had been prepared for the barrage of questions he had expected and knew that a high probability scenario would be him being discharged at worst or demoted at best. Rtas 'Vadum's query echoed in his mind, being one of the several he had not expected would come up during the trial. He shook his head, not allowing himself to leave the heads of court waiting any longer. "I'm not sure, Sir. I've read my past psychological profile and the one that I currently hold and can assure you I will not black out again."

"I believe you, but the true question is how will you get yourself back into the fight? Has the reassignment of your AI not been enough to snap you back into the reality of the war we continue to face?" Whatever tiny bits of the incredible amount of shame he felt were thankfully hidden with his polarized visor. He knew that Kalmiya had been shifting between Sam and Kelly depending on the situation, and he had more than enough trust in his closest friends to know they'd allow nothing to happen to her. It was the reminder that she had been his responsibility and that she had been such a close companion in so many different ways as opposed to his Spartan brethren what brought the memories to sting as much.

Taurus had shown a little frustration at that second question, likely having expected John to do whatever he could to get her back. He knew he'd earned it, but in truth he had not since deserved to win his partner back with his attitude's condition worsening. For all he could think, he did not know what to respond to the Chieftain. The giant sighed when he understood that, and Hood proceeded to speak again.

"Lieutenant, you've been the best Halsey's project has had to give. If we do not include the operations having taken place this past year, there are records of over seventy large-scaled operations being entirely successful and more than two hundred of those of a smaller scale. You are a legend even amongst your comrades, and we've all felt the coldest hells it us with this war. In some ways, you could never understand what we have had to do and what we've been through. In other ways, we could never understand what you have had to do and what you've been through.

"In truth, neither will be even remotely important if we allow the Covenant to win or fire the Halo Array. You have been one of our absolute greatest assets, and now more than ever, we cannot afford to lose you. Even if there are three hundred new Spartans to fill the spaces your generation cannot fill with number constraints, you are the best of the Super Soldiers. The Alliance needs to rely on the Spartans, and the Spartans need to rely on you. You can, and most importantly, you will continue to fight with every ounce of vigor in your body if you are to become the Supreme Commander of the Spartans."

For once, John spent a few second mulling over Hood's last few words as he understood the actual meaning of the trial. He couldn't say he was the slightest bit pleased with their decision. "Sirs, ma'ams, I understand that this was your decision to make. I know what your experience with me has led you to conclude. You believe I would be best fitted for that role, but I am _not_ the one you need to direct the Spartan branches. My condition lately has been-"

"Is _this_ what you were taught to do as a Spartan? To back down when the storm is at its darkest?" The little frustration from before had turned into considerable irritation. Taurus's tone showed as much. "We have read the reports of what happened when Eayn's retaking took place and of the events that caused that to happen. We shall speak of neither here and none more shall know about them, but there is plenty I have to say to you. You have suffered greatly, no one here denies that, but do you honestly believe you have been the only one to endure events as cruel? I have had the misfortune of having to murder two of the comrades I've held close for years amany and live with their souls haunting my waking dreams.

"And yet, here I stand, and there _you_ stand. I understand that I have to go on to ensure the SA's victory as one of the ones burdened the most of my kind in spite of what I want and what I feel. You, however, have not let go and chosen to wallow in your self-pity. When the SA first formed, the only soldiers my own ever respected enough to work with other than each other were you. You have been placed a burden as great as ours against your will as much as ours, for not one of us chose the lives we would come to lead in these years of strife. Tell me Spartan, are you going to turn your back on your duty and continue with this show of weakness when you are needed the most, or will you rise to the challenge in spite of the peace you so desire?"

The words were harsh, and he was sure Halsey would have said the same were she not as filled with guilt as she was. It was a hard truth for John to admit to himself that he wanted personal tranquility out of selfishness and not wanting any more responsibilities laden on him after having fought as much. It went against everything he had been taught since he was enlisted at the age of six. A part of him remained longing for that quiet to settle in and for him to retire and leave the war, but the Captain's words resonated over those thoughts. For better or for worse, he was made a Spartan, he would fight as a Spartan and perhaps he would die as a Spartan. All else he could have been had been sacrificed long ago for the sake of humanity, now the SA as well.

He shifted his head and his polarized visor turned to the Chieftain who'd promptly given a cold, hard wakeup call. With a tone of determination he had not used in months, he spoke, "If that's what's needed of me, then I will become the Supreme Commander of the Spartans. I am ready for duty, if you need me to be."

"Good." Taurus's smile did not reach his eyes, it was barely just a wrinkle in the straight line he had for a mouth, but it was there. The rest of those on the higher ground gave several nods of approval, John soon understanding that it had been the result all had been looking for. His massive boost in rank had not gone fully undercover and would not remain a mere title as they would have it, making John sigh a little when he heard, "Your armor's shoulder pads will receive a golden coating when you leave for the armory as to denote your rank. When the time comes to elect a Supreme Lieutenant, the Spartan shall have a platinum trimming."

"I don't think that's necessary, Sir. If it comes to the test, I will prove my rank. If anything, it may give away my position if I'm trying to lay low from an enemy." He tried to defuse Hood's decree with his pragmatic view, but from the looks of the lots' faces, none would have it. Even the Chieftain gave what could be the hint of a chuckle. "It will give your position away no more than your visor will. Now then, Supreme Commander, it is time for you to head to the armory and retrieve your AI companion. Sources tell me she's not quite so well trained at waiting. We'll announce the news of the new ranks with your leave."

Once again, John was rigid, the thought of inserting Kalmiya back into his helmet again making him salute the Courtroom judges quickly before being allowed to exit the place. A part of him inside thrived with the news, bringing him to form the ghost of a smile on his face, said ghost of a smile being only his mouth stretching horizontally, naught more. He was sure he would lead several different teams depending on the occasion, but he could maintain a certain preferential closeness to Blue Team with his new authority. He didn't know the trial would be about his promotion, but everyone knew what the new rank implied.

Being Supreme Commander meant only getting direct orders from the SA Leadership or their representatives. In case neither could be reached, he would be the one to make the plans and decisions. In fact, it would be up to himself to make plans for him and all the other Spartans when it came to missions. He had experience with almost every type of operation, but managing them all was what made John feel all the more relieved about Kalmiya being there to aid him in handling the whole two generations of Super Soldiers in their plights against the Covenant. For the first time in what felt like years, John felt determination flow through his body and motivate his every movement.

**20:31 – September 21****st****, 2540 – Unyielding Hierophant Personal Quarters**

Terrence Hood let out a relieved sigh as he sat back on his room's chair. He knew changes didn't come overnight, he was sure of that. It would be up to the new Supreme Commander to prove him wrong. More importantly, the weight of a great amount of the most important operations needed to win the war would fall on him. He was nervous, but there was nothing more he could do than he already had. Besides, it was obvious to him that Halsey would only pick the best of the best.

Now came the next part of the week that would be fighting on Palamok again. His nerves strained at the thought of casualties amongst the new line of Spartans, but they needed to have their first independent operation and the SA needed the last secondary homeworld before moving on to the biggest sieges to come. Strategic-wise, Maccabeus was unpredictable and boasted of a third, knowing eye. The SA counted on his arrival in two days' time when the battle was planned to take place, understanding that if confrontation with the veteran Chieftain was unavoidable, then it would be better to count on it.

Still, he needed to make sure things would not go awry, lest the SA suffer from the worst kind of casualties in the forms of molten and destroyed Mjolnir armors. Serving himself a glass of rum on the rocks, he waited a minute to allow the drink to cool before downing it all in a few seconds. Placing his face in his hands, his rooms lights went off and on turned his personal monitor. A lone, blurry memory flashed in his mind, which he would have long since forgotten had it not been so important and impossible to decipher.

It had been almost ten years since the message giving him Armageddon's location with excellent timing had been sent to him. Though the letter asked him otherwise, Hood wanted the man, woman or thing found for interrogation. It wasn't that he believed the sender was a fraud or a traitor, but with just how efficiently the messenger had given the information and even knowing on what the subject was about. He wanted a potential ally out of the person, possibly AI, but he couldn't do that hiding the subject from the other SA representatives. An early, sometimes unsteady alliance could be very easily terminated if the participants withheld information from one another.

But, the informant had kept his or her word and as soon as he spoke a word, said informant laid low. No amount of searching, deals and offers made in secure channels in several similar to the one he or she had sent the info through could bring the unknown back from hiding. Every once in a while, Hood pondered over the fact if he had made the right decision in losing such a would-be ally to keep the alliance intact over the worst case scenario that they would not take him concealing such information from them. And yet, here was a message of a similar kind, no doubt written by the same messenger.

_[Admiral Hood. I once relayed the information required to storm Armageddon to you with the sole condition you did not mention me. You did not, and your search for me endangered more than one important campaigns and missions I have crafted. I have even had to destroy the channels through which you tried to contact me to ensure the non-arousal of suspicion around who I am and what I do. It has been a year short of a decade since I have first and last contacted you, and in light of the operations being made to take back Palamok, I bring you nothing more than a mere suggestion on avoiding the better part of the Chieftain General's wrath and armies. _

_[You and the other leaders of the Alliance hold three prototypes of the strongest sort, in the Unyielding Hierophant. Send one in Maccabeus's way and by the time he faces it, you shall already have won the Yanme'e's homeworld. I suggest you send it with several ships nearby as to not give away what you hold and that you send this small group of vessels before the night is offer if you seek to intercept the General's invasion. Personal advice, tell no one of this. Let it be your ships that are sent and your 'pilots' that drive them, no one else's. I will ask the same as I asked last time and I will aid you where I can. I wish you luck.]_

Hood pondered over the implications of doing what the secretive 'partner' implied he should do. The thought alone of doing something like that was entirely morally bankrupt, nothing more than butcher's work. Then again, it wouldn't be civilians he'd be using it against, but rather the most fearsome Covenant leader left and it might be enough to keep them all at bay for a long time. In the end, the Vice Chairman knew the only true option was to follow the suggestion He just wished it hadn't come to that. Hood pressed a button and through the comms ordered evenly, "Captain Keyes, take ten under your ranks and leave with Halcyon-Class Cruisers towards these coordinates, no questions asked. I'll order my men to deliver a package to you before you leave. Tell no one. When you get it, you'll know what to do…"

**14:23 – September 22****nd****, 2540 – Hammer of Reprisal**

Through one of the cameras, he saw Amadeus conversing with the Rachni Queen. With the submission device implanted in her brain, she stopped being so against the idea of her children fighting for her cause. Her children, in turn, listened to her every will. Right now, she continued to lay thousands and thousands of eggs to replenish the armies and troops lost, not without keeping her Warriors around. She had remained adamant about keeping them around to protect her, and Maccabeus had not made a hassle. He only needed the Soldiers as cheap bullet sponges. If he wanted actual soldiers, he would look for them himself.

The Rachni 'Queen', he'd learned, was not an actual queen at all. The large insectoid proved to be hermaphrodite, capable of self-reproduction while her children were asexual. He found that to be the only redeeming quality in their race. They did not know how to love or fear, but they knew how to fight well enough without them. Having no children of their own led the Soldiers to sacrifice themselves in numbers if that was what was asked of them. Even the Yanme'e held a variety of different emotions, even if they did not display them as often. Perhaps the Rachni would be looked upon in a favorable light when they reached their Gods' holy realm.

He shook his head from his thoughts. That time was not there yet, and they still had to look for the Holy Rings should they want salvation. Even the Ark was a bit of a myth and almost unfindable when compared to the other sacred structures, but one could hope. One way or another, he would have to place those duties on hold to knock back the SA's advancing forces. Demoralization amongst their troops was becoming more and more evident with every fight they won. The Arbiter's lost head had made many believe Maccabeus to be unbeatable, but he knew better than that. All one had to do in war was find the winnable scenarios and use them to best the losable scenarios.

He took his fifteen hundred ships, the thirteen recovered plus two hundred more funded by the Prophets, and slowly took them from Dossiac's orbit and to the system's outskirts. He knew he could have taken Te had he finished destroying the planet's defenses, but that had never been his plan. An advancing force with an unpredictable cavalry was a primary cause of paranoia amongst those of the other band. When the Spartans were spread out enough, he would focus all his strength on eliminating them. To all seven Hells with the homeworlds, the death of the demons' Super Soldiers would be the key to winning the war.

Before making them more defensive, however, he knew the Heretics would use them for Palamok's retaking. Getting there before them was essential. Killing them within their ships and leaving them stranded on the ground would lead to the crippling of the new 'Generation', as his informant had put it. Come the hour's end he would enter slipspace and so would begin his second assault. His trance was broken with an ensign's shout. "Sir! Ten ships are entering the system, all match those of the demons' vessels!"

"Ten?" Maccabeus eyes squinted. Something wasn't right. "Aye sir, and damaged as well. They likely fled their cowardly hides from a battle and had no notion of our presence here."

True to the ensign's word, distress beacons emanated from the ships, flames licking their outer hulls as their propulsion systems just barely kept them going. They ceased when they met the General's colossal armada, not enough to stop the momentum and not having the energy to move away or attack. Many of those aboard the bridge gave him feral grins, wanting an 'appetizer' of the sorts for the slaughter to come. "Capture them. Do not kill them. It is of our interest how it is they came upon our system by such an accident, or how it was that they were close enough to transport themselves here."

Many frowned like wolves deprived of their steaks. The ships continued to come within closer proximity to them, leading Maccabeus to wonder what they'd say at the tip of his knife. He ordered several ships to stop them in their trajectory before they came any closer to him, a thousand ships behind him while the other five hundred were closer to the intruders. The ships came close, but from the holes in the central one's ships, a light comparable to that of a star ignited. In half a second, the General bellowed, "_Life signatures, now!_"

They typed away at their consoles, and the ensign replied with a pale face, "Empty of troops and ships!"

Over the comms, many troops were shocked to hear the General roar, "ALL SHIPS, ENGAGE SLIPSPACE DRIVES! I REPEAT, ENGAGE SLIPSPACE DRIVES!"

By the time the violet dimension covered his ship, the Humans' vessels and the five hundred vessels close to the abandoned war machines were covered in the biggest light show of an explosion Maccabeus had ever seen. Minutes passed, and he and his thousand surviving ships appeared away from it, turning to look as it burned out with great speed in the nothingness of space. In spite of the tension and ire he felt, Maccabeus smiled. "So this is their secret weapon. Send a message to the Hierarchs and tell them we shan't be defending Palamok today. We have much to prepare for. Let them enjoy their victories in the meantime."

**21:07 – September 22****nd****, 2540 – Long Night of Solace**

She pushed a few strands of dark blond hair from her eyes, pushing them behind her ears. It wouldn't do any good for too long, they always fell above her line of sight the minute she shook her head too much. She wasn't annoyed heavily about her blonde bangs that barely just ended with her neck, looking at the helmet with the polarized visor in her hands. She never felt much anyways, save maybe determination in battle or rarely anger at a foe difficult to kill. She was marked as one of the best, having taken command of fireteams and once a platoon when the leaders were incapacitated. She just didn't like to do it.

She preferred solitude, accomplishing her goals with no one to slow her down or to order her around. She worked better like that. Any weapon she could use, any mission she completed, any target was eliminated. The Alliance, however, feared she would be a casualty if sent alone, and now she waited for the rest of her team to come. Another woman's voice brought her from her thoughts. "Nara."

She turned her hazel brown and green eyes to her partner. Cobalt blue light armor, at least for Mjolnir standards, covered her from neck to toe. If it wasn't necessary to wear, she preferred her helmet off and held in one of her arms. The silver screen at its front stared at her as did Catherine's own sky blue eyes. Her hair had gotten a bit long, she noticed. It covered her forehead well enough as it was combed to the right but still remained overall short as the back of it barely touched her own nape. "Yeah?"

"You ready?" Her question led her to look at her own gray helmet before placing it atop her head, hissing a bit as all of its functions activated and the suit came to life. "Yeah. You?"

"Just about. Carter's still using the data chip I retrieved for him 'bout four missions back. I need that if I'm to be the intelligence of the team." Her Slavic accent was one that Nara had familiarized herself with. She supposed her team wasn't at all bad, in fact, it held Carter, as well as perhaps the best the IIIs had to give. It was the idea of a team as a whole that soured her mood slightly. "Right, because God knows you're barely just adequate at it."

The woman chuckled as she placed on her own helmet and grabbed a few Plasma Pistols along with a pair of Magnums. "What can I say? I have standards to maintain."

She almost smiled at that. She didn't too often. She even spoke as little as she could, avoiding contact with all save for a select few Spartans. Select in every meaning of the word. Kurt because he had been an older brother too them all. Her team because if she was going to be a part of it, she might as well optimize the results by making herself as useful as she could. In a way, she did consider them friends. Which is why she preferred to leave friends and work separated. Maybe if she hadn't seen what she'd seen, she wouldn't be so detached. But the past was the past, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

The violet doors opened and in stepped the rest of the team, Carter at the head of the group. She and the leader had been amongst the eldest children to be recruited for the Spartan III Program, the reason as to why they were so somber. Those younger than nine hadn't as many crude memories as their elders, and sometimes a year wasn't needed to change a person entirely. She would know better than most. She picked up the Covenant Carbine on the table, the weapon she considered the most efficient on the battlefront, and walked over to salute the Lieutenant.

"At ease, Nara. You need to loosen up more when we're not around anyone else, you know." She simply nodded, not saying much as she greeted with naught but head motions the rest of the team. Jun and Emile, the two polar opposites of the team greeted her while they still hadn't placed their helmets on. Jun's face was as unreadable as her own usual expression, so ironically they understood one another better than most. Emile always had a furrow between his brows, mouth varying where they were. When not fighting, it was twisted in a frown, waiting the next occasion to participate in one. When in the middle of a battle, she instinctively knew his expression varied from that of a maniac's smile to an animal's scowl.

Rosenda had curlier red hair almost as long as her own and paleness in comparison to her slightly more peach colored skin. That's where the similarities ended. Not it that they were much to begin with. She was more like Kat when it came to mischief-making, but was overall like Jun in his talkative manner, albeit with a bit more back talk. And yet she and Emile and Carter and Catherine and Jun worked fluidly like a team. She struck out as the sore thumb. Not that she had ever cared about that. She'd just gotten used to the solitude and rather enjoyed it.

"Alright, Noble Team, time to head out." With his order, they walked out, taking their fair share of minutes to reach the Harriers. Being amongst the few two-manned ships created by the UNSC, the Spartans were practically tailored to fly them. Taking the pilot seat as Kat took the place behind her, she heard through the comms all begin to state their status. It wasn't long before their turns came.

"Lieutenant Commander Spartan Carter-259, on standby."

"Warrant Officer Spartan Jun-266, on standby."

"Warrant Officer Spartan Emile-239, on standby."

"Warrant Officer Spartan Rosenda-344, on standby."

"Chief Warrant Officer Spartan Catherine-320, on standby."

Nara looked at her when she turned her head and got an affirmative response from her current partner. "Major Spartan Nara-312, on standby."

"_Understood, Spartans. Be ready to take off, for we drop out of slipspace in ten._"

The countdown went on and the thrusters came to life as the spewed flames from the openings. The consoles lightened up and the second the Supercarrier's shields went down, the Supreme Commander roared. "_ONWARDS! ATTACK THE BASTARDS!_"

And with that, they took off. The fighters separated and activated their built-in camouflages while the battle began between the invading and the defending fleet. They boosted through and out of the rains of hellish blue and violet plasma being dealt by the SA's armada. The ships defending were a mere three hundred, four hundred less than the Alliance's strength. But that would change soon enough with the General's appearance. If estimations were correct, they would have a little more than twice the amount of the SA's fleet without counting Palamok's stationary ships. The odds were very low, but they wouldn't have assigned an entire generation of Spartans if not for that.

Banshees and countless enemy fighters stormed out of the Assault Carriers and Supercarriers little out of the atmosphere's range, and they didn't make it further. Cloaks fading and weapons systems activating, the Spartans unleashed their hail of fire. Blue explosions lit up in the place of the Banshees, Seraphs and Phantoms they had been before. Heading closer to one of the Supercarriers of the Covenant, five of the Harriers got close enough to begin shooting at its weak spots. They didn't do much save give away their presence, but what the Covenant hadn't known was that it was being designated as a target by several other ships.

Several seconds of five glassing rays and the shields were down, though other Carriers had gotten in the way to avoid further damage to the massive ship. The crease between Nara's brows grew as she made way towards the ship's engines. With the aid of the rest of the team, metal hulls were cleared and she flew through to the place's core. Getting a view of the large, diamond-like source of energy, Kat was quick to let go of one of the Havok Nukes aboard their ship. With the countdown ready, Nara shot her way through the violet alloys of the ship. Not long after, the entirety of the thirty kilometer vessel was encased in cobalt light coming from within, obliterating it in its entirety.

"_Nicely done, Nara. The fleet's starting to fall. Expect Maccabeus to come at any time soon._" She would have nodded her head at Carter had he been able to see her, but in his absence she said nothing. All of them had gotten used to her quiet demeanor well enough. The thought of a thousand and a half more cruisers heading their way made her more nervous than she'd care to admit. The odds would look rough, and even if they prevailed, there would still be a heavily fortified planet to retake. An idea spawned in her head when she saw five more Supercarriers heading for the invading fleet.

"Supreme Commander, I have a suggestion." Through the comms came static before Thel 'Vadam answered, "_What is it, Spartan three-one-two?_"

"When Maccabeus comes our way, we'll need every bit of firepower we can get. If you can temporarily incapacitate Supercarriers II to VI, we could split into five groups and hijack them. When we have them, we'll deprive them of oxygen and kill the troops inside. You can move your best ensigns and captains once it is clear of Covies."

"_Hm. It's a risk, Spartan, certainly a large one. But, if you're anything like those of the previous generations I have worked with, then there may be a chance. It is not that I think you will fail, but time runs short, and the last time we came here we were taken by surprise. Can you guarantee that you will be back in your fighters by the time the Chieftain General comes?_"

"_Jesus, Nara, are you fuckin' crazy? I want to slit these bastards' throats more than anything, but this is taking it to a whole new level!_" It didn't surprise her that Emile was the first to talk through the team's private comms, and she still wasn't surprised that the implications of the mission to carry out even surprised him.

"_Nara, you do realize we'll be caught dead in the water even if we hijack these ships if we cannot recover by the time big daddy Maccy comes around?_" Jun being the analytical one of the group brought points that she'd already thought of, but she remained adamant in her silence.

"_I guess it was fitting for the quiet one to be the most psychotic one. Gotta say though, hell of an original plan._" At least Rosenda seemed to be in favor of it all, so that was worth something.

"_Crazy, original and nearly suicidal, but plausible. Could give the SA the boost it needs if we have five more of the biggest ships and their weapons with us. I say we do it._" Kat gave her an additional pat on the shoulder from behind her to confirm her stand on it all. Crazy had always appealed to her.

"_Nara, this is going to be a hell of a risk, but I'm leaving the decision to your judgement. Are you sure this is the way of it?_" Carter made her mull things over a bit before stating her answer within the next moment. "We're Spartans, sir. I don't think we'd be adequate at our jobs if we backed down from this."

At the Lieutenant's greenlight, she repeated the same words to the Supreme Commander. Over the SA's comms came said Fleet Master's voice. "_All ships, target Supercarriers II to VI. Cripple them, but don't destroy them. The Spartans will split into five groups and take over them afore clearing them for us. When they are done, be prepared to take over them and command them as if they are our own. We shall attack the Chieftain with his own war machines when he does come to meet us._"

**22:35 – September 23****rd****, 2540 – Will of the Forerunners Bridge**

The Field Marshall slammed her fist against the consoles in front of her, her anger getting as strained as it possibly could. Sixty of the Demons' worst had boarded her ship and no army of Special Operatives or Hunters or _anything_ could stop them. Hells, she even activated a few Scarabs while they were still aboard before being taken out as well as the troops by the mass of Super Soldiers. It would only be so long before they made it to the bridge, highly likely to take her head and do Gods know what with it. Her pupils dilated as she struggled with her patience before finally managing to contact the heads of the Covenant.

"Hierarchs! Pardon my intrusion, but the Demons have entered by vessel and nothing I have done or thrown at them has been able to cut them off! I haven't been able to reach General Maccabeus, and the Heretics have begun disembarking their troops on-"

"_I am sorry to say that Maccabeus has been incapacitated. He is coming back to High Charity with the records of a weapon of mass destructions these Demons have forged in order to prevent more fleets from being incapacitated. I'm afraid that you are on your own, Field Marshall. I do hope that your vast years of experience should allow you to make a stand against the Heretics._" The Prophet of Truth's tranquility unnerved the Sangheili, the Field Marshall failing to understand their calmness when confronted with loss.

"Your Grace, their army outnumbers ours almost twice as much! Never mind that, they've destroyed a hundred and a half of our ships and more are falling! Their Archdemons have infiltrated five of our Supercarriers and they're minutes away from taking our ships! It won't be long before they take the Yanme'e's homeworld and-"

"_Palamok's loss is one that shan't be much against our use! We have work to do in relation to finding the Gods' Sacred Rings! Asides, it's not Sanghelios or Dossiac that's to be taken under siege! We only need time and none of the worlds and none of the armies and none of the Demons or Heretics or Archdemons will matter when the Great Journey is upon us!_" Regrets outburst crushed all her hopes for aid in defending the planet and her troops. Standing with her mouth agape, Mercy took the liberty of continuing, "_Your sacrifice shall be recognized when the Gods come to judge all our souls. Die with your swords in hands for our cause and you'll have no burdens weighing down your spirit._"

Nearly as quick as it came, the transmission was cut with their conversation. They had known they were left for dead, that Maccabeus would not come for their aid, and here they were. She shook her head before growling in rage and stabbing the communications array with her Energy Sword. Before she could command any of her troops to take up arms, a blast and the entrance to the bridge flew towards her.

Knocking out her shields and keeping her flat on her back, she watched as all sorts of well-placed shots took out her warriors. Growling and turning on her stomach to reach for her lighted blade, she watched a dark grey boot place itself atop her forearm. She looked up to find one of the Archdemons, one of the ugliest ones she had scene with what she could only guess was a Human skull scraped on the visor, he levelled his shotgun to her face. "Boo."

With that, Emile blew the Field Marshall's head and turned it into a violet mush. Cleaning his armor from the gore, he turned to Carter and the others of the group, all having barricaded themselves in as Nara stepped to the ship captain's place. With a few motions of her arm, all the Spartans felt the sound leave the room along with every shred of oxygen in the ship. Waiting long enough, life scans showed everyone but the Unggoy dying slowly but surely. When all that was left were the smallest of the races, they reactivated the life support systems. Nara placed two fingers on her helmet's side before calmly stating, "Supercarrier-IV retaken, Supreme Commander."

"_Good. You are the last to be done with what I've scanned to be the tightest packed ship with troops, vehicles and weapons. You've done well, Spartans. I'll send captains to take over you and several troops to kill the remaining Unggoy aboard. When all is clear, take your Harriers and ready for the Chieftain, for now the hardest part is to come._"

"Understood, Sir. Spartan-312, out." With that, she turned her head and walked towards one of the larger scraps of debris to sit on idly. Carter congratulated her on the idea and taking parts in leading the Spartans aboard, while Emile took to taking apart his shotgun and rearming it. Jun was doing the same with his sniper rifle, and Rosenda was tossing a knife in the air by the handle and catching it by the blade. Kat however, caught the sight of the damage comms array before getting to work. Hearing the brains of the group work so thoroughly brought attention to the rest of the Spartans, making them join her.

"Now here's something interesting. Why would someone stab his, or in this case, _her_ Energy Sword at the comms array when it was in good conditions? Must have been something she heard from the other side." A few more seconds, and blurry images of the Prophets were visible with audio barely holding up with statics and cutouts. "_-sorry… Maccabeus… incapacitated… afraid… on your own… Marshall-_"

And with that, the holograms blinked out of existence. Carter put the pieces together in his head before quickly saying, "Before we jump into any conclusions, we can't be sure that it's Maccabeus that was incapacitated, or that the Prophet meant the Field Marshall would have to hold on her own for a while longer."

Before he could say anymore, Nara instinctively contacted the other Spartans, "Those of you who remain in the bridge, check the comms for any messages involving Maccabeus's arrival, or possibly the lack of thereof."

There were several confused messages amongst the Super Soldiers, but all the doubts were cleared when Thom called through the line, "_Maccabeus won't be coming anytime soon. The captain on this ship apparently had a little talk with the Prophets asking for help when they said he was harmed or disabled thanks to some 'super weapon' of ours. According to them, he's on his way to High Charity._"

"We can confirm. We couldn't completely patch the comms system, but we were able to make out the words 'incapacitated', 'Maccabeus' and 'on your own'. Besides, the system was damaged with presumably the Field Marshall's Energy Sword, not our weapons. Might have been that she was put in a state of rage before we stormed the bridge."

"_Then victory is as good as hours. Though I'm not particularly aware of this super weapon, I can say that perhaps one of the representatives of the Alliance may have done something to incapacitate the General. Shame he has not been killed yet, but that shall be an objective for another time. Well done, Spartans. When troop transport arrives, head down to retake Sicavel so the fourth homeworld truly is fully recaptured._"

**Author's Notes: So someone brought up the fact that all I've been writing about is fight after fight after fight. I know that it's getting monotonous and I'm sorry, but like I've stated before, I'm trying to complete Part 2 of the story without taking too long but without skipping over major events. In this one, I tried to intergrate it a bit with John's new rank (Supreme Commander does sound nicely), Hood's plan and his secret friend, and the introduction of some of the Spartan IIIs we know and love. Speaking of which, I confirm here that Nara-312 is basically Noble Six. Why did I make here name Nara? I'll tell you about the next chapter if you guess it right. Also, I've made several of the Spartan IIIs in Beta and Gamma Company part of Alpha because I like the characters and I'm taking advantage of the fact that is very much AU. Well, hope you've enjoyed, and please leave a review on what you've liked and haven't liked so far, it's what keeps me going.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Notes: Sorry for taking so long, everyone, but I bring you the longest chapter yet to make up for it (I think)! Now, someone mentioned in the comments that I'm OPing the Spartans too much, and I won't lie and say that is absolutely wrong. I've made them all come out of the war alive so far because I think the concept for them is great, but to be fair they do earn the importance/reputation they've gained. Think about it. They're not an army of a million, but instead 75 the IIs and 300 the IIIs. Now, split them ALL in teams of five and send them to take out VIP targets whose deaths could delay (even cripple) the Covenant. That's 75 kills they could achieve (they've done so before) that could place the hegemony in a disarray. Now as for taking homeworlds? Send them to the world's capital and they're bound to retake it. If the capital, generally the center of importance political-wise (and sometimes military-wise), happens to fall, then it is much easier to take the world as a whole with the head cut off. That is their importance and why they have been amongst the main reasons as to why the SA has a serious edge over the Covenant. ****Also, the 'bomb' from the previous chapter actually was a NOVA, in case there were still doubts. Anyways, enjoy!**

**EDIT: Also, HUGE SHOUTOUT to Mr. Mookenstein who created the kickass picture I now have on my profile! Now you may continue.**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Dossiac's Crimson Sands**

**September 21****st****, 2540**:The SA has decided that First Lieutenant Spartan John-117 will take up the role of Supreme Commander of the Spartans. With his previous rank dismissed, his authority is one of great importance, given he only takes orders from the Leadership itself. His new role in the Alliance grants him power over all the Super Soldiers that have been produced by both the second and the third project. Until further notice, all SA personnel with the rank of Commander or under must take orders from the Supreme Commander.

Under Admiral Terrence Hood's orders, Captain Jacob Keyes led a group of ten damaged ships to Dossiac, the place where the former had been informed that Maccabeus and the Fleet of Sacred Penance were currently residing in. Sending one of the only three NOVA Bomb prototypes on the leading ship, final reports and estimates theorize that the armament disintegrated five hundred of the Chieftain's ships, give or take a dozen. This attempt to cripple the Chieftain General's forces was made to ensure that his fleet would not mean another defeat in the retaking of Palamok.

**September 23****rd****, 2540**: All three hundred Spartans of the third generation were sent to take back the Yanme'e homeworld under Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadam's command. Through their piloting of a hundred and fifty Harriers, formerly known as 'Sabre Ships', they managed to destroy several of the ships they were in charge of destroying with the aid of a few Havok Nukes per ship.

Major Spartan Nara-312 shortly afterwards led the attacks on several of the crippled Supercarriers and hijacked them quickly enough to prepare for the Chieftain General's forces. After taking them, it came to their attention that Maccabeus had chosen to retire his forces from protecting the planet for reasons unknown at the moment. Palamok's retaking was successful and immediate, with no interventions from the greatly experienced warlord, the mission being done by the next day.

**December 1****st****, 2540**: As came with the charge of being Supreme Commander of the Spartans, the Super Soldier led the charge on multiple battlefronts ranging from the defense of several Human colonies to stealth operations on Covenant satellites. In agreement with the Leadership, he has called in all the Spartans from both generations for a great rally.

**February 14****th****, 2541**: With the largest fleet the SA has ever given, an armada numbering in a thousand and two hundred ships is to be sent to Dossiac to take back the Jiralhanae's homeworld. With all the highest ranking Chieftains, including Captains Tartarus, Lydus, Taurus and Lieutenants Gargantus, Ceretus, Samallix and Bracktanus, to head the great number of ships, the SA has deemed the mission one too important to have loss as did Palamok's first retaking. Supreme Commander Spartan-117 will handle all the strategic tactics considered suicidal with the whole of the Spartan branch to back him up.

The war draws closer to a definitive end and the SA wants to ensure that it won't be delayed any longer than it should to prevent more corpses to feed the ever-growing graves. It is noted that through sixteen long years of war, most grudges between Humans and previous members of the Covenant have been forgotten. Years of fighting against terrible odds has led many to care little for who or what it is that watches their backs, so long as safety is ensured. Some grudges, such as those between the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae as well as those between the Unggoy and the Kig-Yar, have not truly died. They have, however dwindled vastly from the flames they used to be, though certain events in the war have sparked enmities between the groups. The Leadership and its most progressive minds continue to work on ending the rivalries still present in the troops.

**03:34 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Unyielding Hierophant Research Center**

_All was dark around him. He was a he… wasn't he? Or a she? No… memories indicated that he is a male. Not memories, shadows of memories. Memories that were imprinted onto him to serve as a base for him. His wellbeing, his being itself had been a debate for a while. Should he be alive? Why is he alive? Why was he brought into this world? Why was he brought back into this world? A ghost of a former hero, a former traitor, a former warrior of his God, a former heretic of their Gods?_

"_-alos? Siralos? Siralos!_" And then he saw for the first time in centuries. He was in a room, a large amount of beings all around him to watch his awakening. Some were of his kind, others were San'Shyuum, others were a kind new to him. _Humans_, a part of him analyzed. How he identified and named them so quickly he could not understand. He was crafting on how he should react to those surrounding him, all so unbelievably slow. "Who… who are… who am I?"

"I don't believe it! All the functions are working, he is now online! The project has been successful!" The one so loudly cheering was one of the 'Humans', or so the knowledge within him told. This time, one of his kind stepped up to him and got on her knee so they could see eye to eye. Her jaws opened. "Hello, you must be confused. You may have some memories from another time, from another life where you were made of flesh and blood and bones. Those were not artificially forged, and they are a part of you. Perhaps you may remember a name from those 'recordings', as you would view them, but your new designation is 51R-4L0S, or Siralos."

It all came to him slowly, so slowly, and so very quickly. Recordings came across his mind. A warrior stood strong proud and tall, with armor crafted for him and him alone. He was powerful, he was a leader. He was also enraged, the blood of his wife having been spilt in his own home. He faced off against a larger foe, one that cut him down just as he did him. Both had bled out, but his own corpse had been preserved, an example of a heretic of the worst kind. He had been Fal 'Chavamee. He had been an, no, _the_ Arbiter. And yet, for the overwhelming surge of memories in the hundreds, he felt nothing about them.

"I am... I am. Arbiter Fal 'Chavamee was my base… my father… my creator. Without him, I would be nothing, but I am not him. All his memories are mine now, as well as thousands of records of these past few centuries, ranging from the acquisition of new species to the Covenant, to the Humans' late appearance. Their Arbiters… no, that is not their name… their _Spartans_ recovered my body months ago with the capture of one of the Covenant's bases. Not my body, the _Arbiter's_ body. He died for keeping true to the wrong belief that shamed his kind, a belief that now holds true. I do not know what to feel. I do not know what I should feel. I do not know _how_ to feel. What am I? What is my purpose?"

"Your purpose is here, with us, with the Separatist Alliance. Your creator, the Arbiter that 'shamed' our kind long ago had been in the right long before any of us sought to go to a true war for it. Our eyes have been opened to the truth, and now repentance remains from us for all of the ancestors we've taken care of spitting on and dishonoring. Your function is to aid us in ending the Covenant, be it through commanding a ship or accompanying a warrior and disabling enemy defenses. Your purpose is our redemption."

Siralos remained silent at that, contemplating all he had learned within a few seconds of life and a few minutes of conversation. "Will my mind rot? My databases inform me that as an AI, I have a very limited lifespan when compared to the organic Sangheili. Human AIs suffer from this too, Rampancy, I believe it is called. Will it be inflicted on me?"

"Nothing is sure. You are the very first Sangheili AI to have been created, but estimates say that–"

"–I have a ninety-seven point eighty-three percent chance of suffering from the same, given the similarities between our kinds' brains. Structures, hormones and several other things vary in the organs themselves, but the ways our matrixes process information are in essence the same save for details too small to intervene. My time should run out in seven years of life, if my duration is parallel to that of the Human AIs'. If it is more parallel to the relation that the Human AIs' lifespans have with their organic counterparts, then mine should still be a mere fourteen years, given our organics live twice as long as theirs."

"Perhaps, but for all your precise intelligence, you fail to see the importance of yourself. Even if you live for only seven years and no longer, which by then our technology may have advanced enough to prolong such a state, you are still the final bridge we have gaped with the Humans after the rough starts between our races. We started an alliance with naught but distrust, rancor and hatred for one another, but now even the best of our technologies we've shared with one another. _You_ are the first non-Human and non-Forerunner smart AI to come to existence, and more shall follow because of you. _You_ are the proof that the bonds forged in these times of war will prove to be unbreakable when we finally achieve peace."

Siralos thought it over, dismissing the parts heavier with idealism and altruism within her statement. Absolute peace was, is, and always will be an impossible state to achieve. Someone will always be there to go against the tide and cause mayhem in such a 'tranquil' society, but… he could not help but contemplate the meaning he had to the rest of the Alliance. There would never be peace, but outright war and hate between species would be far less likely now when said kinds shared their best with one another. It would never be enough to quell those with more extremist views against one another, but now it could be assured that those would never even come close to being a considerable minority. In his maroon hologram, Siralos's jaws twisted in a curious smile.

**17:09 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Retribution's Sword Bridge**

"It's almost time." Tartarus turned to watch his younger brother droning. He looked tired, more than anything. He looked _older_ than Tartarus himself was. Not that the elder sibling was far behind. With them was their squad, with the addition of Lydus, who had just as much say on how to take back their homeworld as any of them. Bracktanus looked like he sobered up from his near constant bouts of rage, Samallix was nearly as stoic as her bond-mate, Gargantus had no laughter to give that day and Ceretus… he remained unchanged. Reflective silence had always been his prime characteristic.

"It is. Maccabeus is more likely than not waiting for us, as is Amadeus and Lepidus. There also remains the chance that the Rachni Queen is amongst Dossiac's cells turned laboratories." Everyone remained silent at that. Lydus's words hopefully had some truth to them, Tartarus hoped. Reports and rumors here and there pointed to the Jiralhanae homeworld as the location of the head of the newer insectoid branch of the Covenant. Then there was his uncle, as well as the remaining members of his former squad of Chieftains.

He remembered times that he felt had ended several thousands of years past, when it was only decades afore that separated them. Maccabeus had always been adamant in his resolve but empty in his desire. Many questioned why through his losses amany he continued on. Perhaps to defy them all, perhaps because it was all he knew. Then the Covenant came and spoke of gods older than all, with planets and a wealth of technology and resources as their proven testament. Many believed that by winning him over, the Prophets had made the Jiralhanae their allies. Tartarus knew better. Maccabeus had not bent the knee for the San'Shyuum, he never had and he never would. It was the Forerunners that earned the rarest act from the General that the galaxy would ever see.

The thoughts of his uncle left his mind when he remembered he was the first to turn on his own blood, something darkly common for the Jiralhanae. Any more thoughts on the man and he would have found somebody to stab when he remembered how he convinced or extorted his own team against him. Parabus, he knew by instinct, was the last to succumb. With faith and loyalty as undying as his, it all came to whether he believed in the Gods or in his brethren. With Maccabeus there, he knew what the end result had been.

Maladus was cruel from the start, he had always been, but his uncle knew how to put him on a leash without making a hassle. Considering how heavily he practiced Jiralhanae 'war customs' before, the General had worked miracles to end his premature cannibalism, as well as his policy on pillaging and rape before he had the chance to enact it. Tartarus had inherited that chain to hold, and several times he had to tighten it to prevent the Chieftain from making choices that led to the elder, savage ways. His stomach and his blood boiled when Maccabeus released those chains after countless years of work to use against the Alliance.

Then there was Lepidus. He was… hard to describe. Paranoid was amongst his more defining qualities, but ingenuity and innovation were as well. He was in more ways than one Ceretus's polar opposite. With the right words from Maccabeus, the General had likely convinced him that his nephews had never cared for him in the first place. From what the reports said, the second the Great Schism was over and the war became more civil with how kind fought against kind, the Chieftain fell into madness. The fact that Taurus had killed Parabus and Maladus, though not his intention, had reinforced his uncle's harsh words. A part of Tartarus wanted to scream and roar. Knowing Lepidus's fragile state of mind, he was beyond the point of no return.

Lastly was Amadeus. Almost to make up for Maladus's excessive savagery, Amadeus was kind hearted, perhaps the only one of his entire species to have been born with some. Younger than them all and smarter by leagues than the rest of his squad mates, he had been the first to be looked favorably by the Prophets themselves. What happened to turn him into the husk he was now, he did not know, but Tartarus knew the younger Lieutenant would never do something like experimenting on a new race's leader and making her children kill and die on the battlefield. All of which led to Tartarus having a mission of his own besides taking back his true home. By the end of the war, he would have his uncle's and the Hierarchs' heads mounted on pikes for the entire damned Covenant to see. It wasn't that he would do his best or die trying, no. He would find each and every one of them and keep his damned word.

His thoughts were cut short. A Human officer by the name and rank of Captain James Cutter entered, along with a fair amount of other captains and leaders of his kind. Few he noted and cared for, though the Captain himself had warranted notable respect for having come against the last Covenant Arbiter, great strength from the Human Insurrectionists and the 'Unknown'. Few information was retained of the last new foe, but it had been enough to hide it from the troops to avoid panic from taking over them. Thankfully it was destroyed along with the planet, so it would only remain an ugly stain from a mission of several years back.

His attention drifted to the tallest of the Humans. The Supreme Commander of the Spartans stood tall and strong, his identity a mystery to all those who had caught sight of him save for the highest ranking officers. His right shoulder pad was bathed in gold to denote his rank, as well as a stroke that started at the middle of his helmet's 'cap' that went back in a straight line up until where his neck started and the back of his helm ended. The warrior had his whole strength with him, a lone fact that eased the Captain's mind. Though Bracktanus remained somewhat adamant in his grudge for the Humans, Tartarus knew of their Spartans' capabilities firsthand, and their aid would be heavily required to take back the planet-sized fortress.

As shipmasters and commanders of all kinds rounded in a circle around the bridge's hologram, with even a stray few Sangheili amongst the group, the Spartan's AI companion entered the controls. "Afternoon, everyone. I'm not going to waste any more of our time here, so I'll get straight to the point. The Supreme Commander and I will divide the Spartans into several teams and platoons to take out Dossiac's secondary war centers and stations. Until that can be done, your armies can't head to the capital.

"Ruthvor's defenses are too many to bypass to attack it first, so we need to take out the other facilities that its power partially relies on. We believe that in the capital, Chieftain General Maccabeus, Chieftain Lieutenant Lepidus and Chieftain Lieutenant Amadeus will head the defenses and that the lattermost will be defending or extracting the Rachni Queen. Given the fact that the General has had impeccable tactics against us and a sixth sense of where we'll attack, we have to presume he already knows all our plans. Even then, we have reason to believe the Queen may still be on the planet as bait for their trap. We'll have to honor them by setting it off, but not without activating a few of our own."

"Which ones have we to aid us?" Inquired Ceretus, his eyes dully boring on the golden woman's projection. She smiled with a trace of mischief in her tone, "That, Chieftain Lieutenant, you'll find out soon enough, I guarantee you. No fun spoiling the surprise yet."

He nodded, waiting with the rest of the group for her to continue. She faltered a bit as she spoke further. "This is where it gets a bit… heavy. The capital resides near where the River of Eternals starts, whereas the secondary stations are nearer to said shores. Now, they have defenses everywhere _but_ on the river itself, so the Supreme Commander will drop inside at a farther point and keep underwater until–"

"_NO!_" Tartarus wasn't sure which sounded louder, Lydus's roar or his fists slamming the mauve table of metal. Silence reigned the room after his outburst as the eldest of the group took deep breaths to compose himself. It was a sporadic side that almost no one had seen of the Captain, one that Tartarus could count with the fingers in his hands. A few more loud breaths and Lydus stood straight again, not without hints of a worn spirit.

"The River of Eternals has been the one thing, the _only_ good thing of our old religion to have survived. I've stopped believing in higher deities for centuries, but by all the gods that you believe in, by all the gods that may actually exist, _do not go through the river_. To use it for personal gains, for acts of war, for commerce or any other purpose that does not respect its integrity is a warrant for things far worse than death that you'll sign. I've watched empires be built because of the use of that river only to fall and burn to the ground without even having ashes remaining to be buried.

"Even if it is my old mind and personal experiences that give me superstitious views on it, it is a risk you do not want to take. Desecrate that river, and all the Jiralhanae will come against you. Of the Covenant or the Alliance, it matters not. They will stop at _nothing_ to right what has been wronged. Do that and the Covenant's Jiralhanae will find purpose and strength to burn us all and glass the planets we've protected and taken with no regards for their own lives. Do that and our _own_ Jiralhanae may split from our Alliance to return to the Covenant whilst making all the havoc they can.

"Someday… someday, when my belly is filled with ale and my mind is numbed beyond the point of a trained tongue and finer judgement, I shall tell you why I am against this. Perhaps it was all naught more than a series of consequences that logically followed the actions done, but the River of Eternals has damned thrice all those that have maltreated it. Any other alternative is preferable. Attacking civilian cities to draw them out, the use of orbital bombardments, even the use of nuclear-grade weaponry… but not the river. _Never_ the river. I can guarantee you one thing for sure. Not even Maccabeus himself would attempt to use it against us, so you may rest assured when it comes to that."

Once more, no one chose to interrupt the silence that came with Lydus's commanding tone and warnings. Kalmiya did as well with her mind in several places, amongst which were analyzing the Chieftain's past and Dossiac's own history to understand his standpoints. Still she formulated plans, and it was not long before a small smile began to etch itself back to her face.

**18:31 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Ruthvor, Kartarald, Dossiac**

He blinked more than a few times. Their ships had come, just as the General had predicted. Their Archdemons barged in, just as he said. And yet, he had not expected for all the secondary fortresses that held up the capital's shields to be so swiftly destroyed. For the life of him, he had not expected how quickly they were taken. Apparently the Demons' new '_Mammoths_' were forged to counteract their own E-Scarabs, in light of the fact that the newer models of the great walkers held additional Element Zero cores to strengthen the weaponry.

Reports said one bright flash and their grand super units went up in light and flames. Only two of the seven sent groundside were destroyed, but not before they turned the strongholds to ashes and the Archdemons escaped. He was informed quickly enough that the mobile bases were heading towards the large, war-built metropolis. It made him tick and blink even more as he heard hundreds of ships of both sides fought far above, every so often making it rain molten metal. Still, the Mammoths had grasped the better part of his attention.

_We need to counteract their countermeasures. Explosives? No, not against them. Not enough to destroy them, and the troops would die along the way as well, and yet… destroying buildings to fall on the Mammoths? They wouldn't expect us to so prematurely attack civilians, yes, and the weight of the taller buildings would undoubtedly crush them. It's the best course of action._ Lepidus thought. The idea bickered with a dozen more but prevailed in the end as he gave the orders through the radio. Leaving one of the capital's great bases, he looked outdoors.

The sky was still between orange and black, not quite a night sky but the dusk still taking over the wide realm. Ships far too many to count lit it up like stars within the reach of his palm, some of them falling onto their grounds. He stopped being able to tell who's ship was who's, and soon enough he stopped caring. Either were likely to kill them if destroyed too closely, or so the General had told him. The titan of gold's purpose had quickly become keeping the SA ships away from Ruthvor to avoid glassing or depositing troops, and he still stood strong.

Unfortunately, they were stationed enough kilometers away to not be shot by his watchful eye, but close enough to reach them within three quarter of an hour's time. The vanguard had been the Mammoths with their Archdemons to man them, but the head of the invading armies were Tartarus and Taurus. _So they've finally come to reap me, I should have known. Yet, they haven't used the River of Eternals for their own despicable purposes. Perhaps they plan on desecrating it if they win. Perhaps they still have the decency of keeping true to our customs. Perhaps there is something deeper to all of this that I know not of. Perhaps the General does._

He had to shake his head several times to clear his mind and ready for the battles to come. Thunders crashed onto the outermost buildings of the city. No, not thunders, _cannons_. Their booms were strong and powerful, and he knew their Mammoths had arrived. He was quick to the comms. "All aerial crafts, snipers and troops able to shoot from a distance, concentrate your fire on the Mammoths' main gun! Disable it at all costs and forget about eliminating it, their destruction without their true weaponry is already covered."

Flocks of Banshees, Phantoms and Spirits rained upon the superplatforms, many falling before they fulfilled their objective. Keeping a close eye on the greater tracker on his arm, he looked at the overly large dots representing the beasts for vehicles closing in on the detonators. He waited and waited for all his impatient mind urged him to prematurely make the order out of stress. Finally, they were in position. "_DETONATE THE CHARGES! KILL ALL ARCHDEMONS THAT SURVIVE THE FALL!_"

Far away from his position, buildings amany were had their roots and lowermost columns destroyed, quickly falling upon the great metal beasts. In the span of a few seconds, all enemy signatures disappeared from his forearm's electronic map. He felt a wave of relief and pride at his success which was quickly diminished by his overwhelming paranoia. "_All troops, check the wreckage! Ensure that all corpses are found and accounted for!_"

"_Negative,_ _Chieftain Lieutenant. The Mammoths were empty and the Archdemons are nowhere in sight._" _Damn it all, they knew we would manage to destroy their vanguard. I should have stationed patrols to kill them while they escaped. No matter. I must make the best of these conditions._ "Then rally all those under your command and establish outposts upon the wreckage to prevent the roads from being used! Use all the debris around you in your favor, or blow it all to the Seven Hells for all I care, but by the Gods we hold true, _do not let the heretics in_!"

"_We're trying, sir! There's hundreds of them riding on Wraiths, Warthogs, Revenants, Scorpions! Hells, I can even see a few Scarabs in the distance! We're being overwhelmed! There's too many! They're AH–!_" _No. No. No, no, no, NO… _"_DAMN EVERYTHING TO ALL SEVEN HELLS!_"

All he could think of was the thought of Dossiac falling and the River burning. Maccabeus was holding them back, he couldn't aid him. Amadeus had his trap set and the Queen to look after, so he gripped the earpiece at the right half of his helmet. "All troops prepped for offense, follow me! We shall take the Demons and the Heretics on afore they set foot on our capital, lest you want to lose everything!"

In one of the few moments where all voices within the vicinity of his mind consorted in agreement, he raised his great, pale _Harmony_. Better known as 'Limb Eater', the sickle composed of Forerunner Alloy shone like a star fallen onto the war-riddled planet. A beacon for all the forces to rally under his command as he led the charge of Ruthvor's strength.

**18:49 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Ruthvor Outskirts, Kartarald, Dossiac**

Within the outskirts of the Jiralhanae's ancestral home, John looked through the scope of a lent Sniper Rifle to the troops flooding from the outermost buildings previously destroyed. The buildings varied in color, ranging mostly between a dark brown and a fervent red. It gave it the appearance of a titan of stone's open heart, with a thousand and one creatures leaving its chambers every second. Their objective remained at the center of the bastardization of a large metropolis and a colossal stronghold. The _Jiraelhanor Tuvarios_, or Cradle of Tribal Chiefs in their native tongue, was where the better part of the world's defenses could be knocked out. It was also believed to be where the Rachni Queen was being held, making it their invading forces' prime target.

At the moment, he stood in front of his Warthog, with a stampede of more than a hundred more at his back. Not the most powerful rides for his Spartans, but they were to meet up and aid the crew of SA Chieftains to lay siege to Ruthvor. As John finished processing several plans in his mind while giving the Sniper back to Linda, he thought it over once more with Kalmiya putting her own two cents on it. Both coming to an agreement, he looked to all those that awaited his commands before barking, "Spartans, front and center!"

It had been less than ten seconds and all three hundred and seventy four other Super Soldiers were looking at him in question. "Chieftain Captains Lydus, Tartarus and Taurus are leading the raid upon Ruthvor with their Lieutenants heading the side armies, and it is our job none of them lose their lives and they make their mission successful. You will be heading out quickly enough and you will breach their defenses, but even if you do, it may still take hours for Ruthvor to fall with Jiraelhanor Tuvarios intact and functioning. This is why I will be heading there to deactivate all defenses and isolate the troops within the city."

Several murmurs he heard, several in disagreement with his decision. Most of those disagreeing were those closest to him, fearing he would not make it out of such a suicidal mission. Some of the other Spartan-IIs nodded at him, knowing him well enough that he would get the job done and his luck would take him the rest of the way. The Spartan-IIIs were all shocked at his decision, some thinking he was insane while others plainly admired the will that matched his skill. Some were even jealous, of his ability or his personal mission, he could not tell. One had remained silent.

"Spartans Jerome, Serin, Fred, Kelly and Jaime, you will be leading a third of the forces." He looked away as they winked green, now turning to their younger counterparts. "Spartans Carter, Lucy, Thom, Kai, Holly, Olivia, Min, Jane, Catherine and Robert, your responsibility is with the other two thirds of our forces. Again, you will do your all to defeat the defending forces, but time is a factor of essence here. One or two Spartans covertly entering the city won't be easily noticed if all others are with the SA's strength.

"That is why I've selected one other candidate for this operation, one with the necessary versatility to surpass any and all obstacles that may get in our way." His helmet shifted to one with grey armor with a gold visor to reflect his own. The soldier wordlessly stepped forward, almost entirely certain of whom the Supreme Commander had spoken of. "Lieutenant Spartan Nara-312 reporting for duty, sir."

He had never spoken to her before, but he knew her by her steadily growing reputation. After all, it was hard to earn the title of a 'hyper-lethal vector' when only he had gained such a renowned designation before. She was quick, didn't speak much, thought primarily pragmatically, and had an affinity for just about every weapon in the arsenal. He respected that greatly. "Lieutenant, do you think you are capable of such a task?"

"It wouldn't be a Spartan mission if it wasn't, sir." Her reply was short, simple, and straight to the point. Again, it was the prime example of what a Spartan's attitude should be, but it wasn't the answer he was looking for. "A Spartan mission is considered suicidal by most other soldiers' standards, even those with elite training. This is a burden with terrible odds by Spartan standards. Most of our ammunitions will run dry by the time we reach the city's center, we will likely face Biotics for one out of every ten Jiralhanae we fight, and we might just have an overwhelming army of Rachni that stand between us and their mother. Getting in is a Spartan mission. Getting out is much harder. Are you still willing to do it?"

She moved her head a fraction of a bit to look at her teammates, those she'd stuck with for a better part of her time. They looked at her approvingly and positively, if not laced with that of a stare given to a hopeful maniac. But there was nothing new from that. Even with their helmets on, she could read them well enough. She looked back at her superior before answering a curt, "Yes, sir."

He nodded, and with a few gestures, the rest of the Spartans left to join the titanic charge the Chieftains led. All that remained, at his orders, was a lone Mongoose, waiting to be used by only the most skillful drivers. Thankfully, leadership wasn't John's only strength. It was wordless motion, and he gave Nara some of his ammo for her to use on her Carbine when she mounted the other end of the vehicle. _Well, I'll be damned, John. Who would have ever thought you would meet your m__**A**__tch made in he__**A-A-A**__ve__**N**__?_

_Kalmiya?!_ Even in his mind, he could not bring himself to yell, but his thought was fierce enough for his long-time companion to notice. _It's n__**OTH**__ing, just k__**E**__ep going._ Her words brought an endless flickering to his HUD that stressed his mind, wondering if he would have a system shutdown midway. He asked her internally about this, but she waved it off and told him to continue like nothing was wrong. He frowned internally, now beginning to understand her frustrations when he would refuse to discuss damaging personal matters with her. But, he had a mission, as terribly timed as it was. And now he had a new 'partner in crime' that matched his skillset he knew he couldn't afford to lose, knowing her worth amongst her generation was that of a beacon of hope and strength. So, he set his mind to the wheel in front of him as the lithe, four-legged mount sent gravel as red as his blood high into the air.

Scarabs crawled out of the city and met their offensive headfirst, but from afar, John could see some of his Blue Team boarding them on jetpacks. He didn't need to keep looking at them to know they alighted in great blue blasts. Unfortunately for himself and Nara, their armors' usually inconspicuous colorings attracted enough attention in a place with the soil a deep crimson and the buildings darker. Still, he outmaneuvered the shots coming their way, taking advantage of all the roads with fewer personnel guarding them.

Every shot Nara took, she did not miss even with the Commander's rapid driving. Most of the time, she would place it on units that could worsen their day quickly, such as a squad of FRG wielding Unggoy or a team of Kig-Yar snipers. Unfortunately for the Lieutenant, most already had E-shields, as the SA had dubbed them. Not nearly as powerful as plasma-grade shields, but enough to stop a one shot kill, which is a great nuisance for a marksman. Still, no round was wasted, and further they pried into the super city. They could see the resistance growing heavier with the amount of Jiralhanae and Rachni swelling and the other Covenant species falling.

"We're nearly at Jiraelhanor Tuvarios, be ready for all kinds of defenses and threats. We will do everything in our power to ensure we are seen as little as possible. Understood?" His baritone voice sounded experienced and ready in spite of the tiredness that lingered in its undertones. She looked at the grand castle in the distance and replied a curt, "Crystal."

He nodded, soon going under every building with an open floor to avoid the raining hell from above. He could see the grand wall in the distance with several towers along its length with watchful sentries observing everything. Heading towards a basement, the two hopped out of the vehicle, hearing a band of the angrier brutes following them. "_This way! They went this way! Engage camouflage units and take their heads!_"

For all she hated the disgusting creatures, her mind felt thankful for their loudmouthed stupidity. Soon would come her chance to exact vengeance. But she remained silent, hiding behind a row of massive vehicles that held no visible weapons. She could only assume that those were their civilian vehicles, as far as 'civilian' went for their kind. "_So, Nara, how're you enjoying working with the Commander?_"

_His AI, designation Kalmiya, I think._ Her thoughts pondered over the great warrior's rather peculiar partner, and the question she chose to ask her out of the thousand others the program could have thought of. She could only presume the man himself knew nothing of Kalmiya's private conversation with her, as he pointed his own Carbine at the entrance where distortions were about to come through. "Good, I suppose. He's effective at what he does and he's straight to the point."

"_Jesus, you actually are just like him. I'd wager you two would make an unstoppable force together. Anyways, John wanted me to let you know that it's a priority to shoot their heads. Do everything in your power to make sure their Active Camouflage Units remain intact. They __**MAY **__just be our ticket __**IN**__._" Nara flinched at her last words slightly but ignored them overall, winking green at the other Spartan's instruction. She could now see five figures altering the room's image before shooting the uppermost part of one of them.

**19:13 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Ruthvor Outskirts, Kartarald, Dossiac**

He hacked madly as he dragged himself to a collapsed column of one of the buildings he had had destroyed earlier. His great sickle _Harmony_ was still in his right hand, but he no longer found the strength to raise it. His legs had given out from under him with more than a few shots having penetrated his knees, leaving him to crawl indignantly for shelter. _Damn them all, Heretics, Demons, all of them! They should have killed me in battle, given me a gloried death, not left me a pathetic cripple to beg for mercy! These are their tactics, I know. Demoralization. Perhaps now would be the best time for them to burn the River. Hells if I'd be surprised._

Finally he got himself straight as he flipped himself over and leaned his back against the smooth yet broken pillar. _Is this penitence? For turning on my own brothers? Kinslaying has never been a subject of debate, but attacking those I deemed friends and allies in steel? Are the great Forerunners disappointed in my fighting, my devotion, my resolve? Were they lies all along and our old war gods true? Are THEY punishing me? Is there anyone out there at all? Is there any reason behind my punishment?_

He wheezed as blood oozed from his gaping maw, too tired to cough from the punctures in his lungs that led to their slow, internal flooding. _Hells damn me, dying is a shite process._ He looked forward to find several figures coming towards him, making out serial numbers on their breastplates the closer they got. The largest one was in front of the group, of how many, he could not count. All he could see was '_034_' on its chestpiece, with its arm raising to the side of his helmet at his sight. _Perhaps it is questioning those above their filthy ranks if they should parade my corpse to the men left fighting. Biotics can lick the saltiest part of my asshole, they were fucking useless against the Archdemons._

Apparently, the wounds had made him think more slowly, for by the time he had cursed those with Element Zero in their veins, the Spartan had taken the fingers from where its ear should be. With a nod to the others, they left him in his dying crib as they steadily marched towards the capital's heart._ Planning to leave me to die slowly… fuck me, why had I not thought of that?_

His eyes trailed to the walking platoon's path, lingering on the spot they once were in when they left his sight. He couldn't bring himself to shoot them, roar at them, taunt them, or even warn those manning Ruthvor's inner defenses that he had lost. Instead he heard only one steady pair of footsteps coming his way. His eyes blinked a few times and leaked tears with the sand clogged inside of them. He turned to look at a ghost in mauve, the reminder of a friend he'd not seen in years. He did not know if he wanted to smile or frown.

He took his helmet off, Lepidus immediately recognizing his previous leader's face until he realized his eyes were flames of azure. Sadness lurked in them, from what he could tell. Or maybe the pain was making him hallucinate.

"It's over, Lepidus. Dossiac will soon be won." His victory-proclaiming tone held no mirth in it, much less pride or arrogance. His frown was as marred as his own, though it lacked the blood pooling on his chin and neck. "So it is… You've almost won… are you… sated now...? Does this… bring you pleasure?"

"As much as he who likes to burn his own home and murder his own team. Lepidus, I beg you, let me take you with our wounded. We have enough healers on our ships, you ought to be walking come the morrow. I've seen enough of my brother's squad and mine own suffer greatly, your death needs not find a tombstone to name." For a second, he doubted. He doubted the doubts he'd had of Taurus's and Tartarus's purposes and betrayals. Of Maccabeus's intentions. Of his legitimacy. And then he questioned yet again if this was not some other illusion or trick they planned to ride him down with. He didn't know what to believe in anymore.

"No, Taurus… my time is done… All I ask… end mine life quickly… I cannot… stand these… these fucking voices… in my head… any longer…. Do it… if you're truly…. the brother I once knew…" His previous leader looked like he expected his answer. No, not his leader, his _brother's_ leader. Or was it his _leader's_ brother? He closed his mind and berated himself with a thousand voices. _Gods, have I lost my mind already like I've never had it in the first place?_

His answer came in a bite of pale, cold steel within his right heart. He opened his eyes a final time to find eyes blue and red staring him down. The pain worsened and quickened, but his sight and his mind darkened. He gave the closest he could to a smile. _Finally, some peace and quiet in here._

**19:49 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Jiraelhanor Tuvarios Research Facility**

Perhaps she would have screeched and kicked and wailed once before, but her mind had long since been numbed, and with hers, her children. His golden eyes shifted from place to place in his laboratory, all the pieces of information he needed to recollect, all the evidence he had to save elsewhere and erase there. It had all been such a complex task. Moving the Queen to safety had been part of the plan so others would come for him and face the more dire consequences. He had had his orders from Maccabeus. All the Chieftains that came his way to his lab sporting the Mark of Shame on their armors would be dealt with lethal intentions. Even then, most would be dealt with through their countless defenses, at least in theory.

In practice, however, their capital had been infiltrated by what had to be the strongest of the Archdemons so quickly and silently that none had been able to stop them. They had since reached the power generator and destroyed all the backups, leaving the main one to fluctuate in unstable amounts of energy. Many of his monitors had paid the price for it, and now he had to abandon his post to truly ensure that none took the Rachni's head.

Booms were heard outside his gates, but fortunately for himself, Brood Warriors were giving hell to those that attempted to infiltrate his vicinity. He still had yet to figure out how the Queen had bred them with an already substantial amount of Element Zero in their bodies naturally as opposed to their Soldiers that had none. He had been making great progress on it until Dossiac's invasion was announced, and all had to be placed on halt. It would have exasperated him if he could still remember what it was like to rage. He needed more time. The room's back door had four more Brood Warriors waiting for him help escorting the Rachni Queen. Instead, the room's lights flickered before finally shutting down.

He gave a deep sigh, gripping his Forerunner war flail named _Integrity_. The heads of three morning stars were orbiting around the end of the pole, being united to his weapon through magnetic means. Just as that had been its unique form of creation, Amadeus ensured that his armor would repel the large, toothed spheres. Amongst his finer modifications, a safe way to ensure that using his grand weapon would not terribly backfire on him. He let out a curious humph as he looked at the weapon in his hands. It was his first time using it in actual combat. He strived to remember why he'd been hesitant to wield it before.

His thoughts were cut short with the sound of a door opening and a warrior in violet armor stepping through. Almost as if as a courtesy, he took off his helmet to look at him in the eyes. _Blue, not orange_, Amadeus thought when he looked at them. Tartarus may have been easier to turn on his own troops while he grieved for half his dead squad, but Taurus had resigned himself to his fate of fighting his previous comrades. _This will be tougher_, the younger thought. _Killing him won't be so easy with so much experience on his side._

"Lepidus is dead. Jiraelhanor Tuvarios is fallen, and our fleet is winning against Maccabeus's in spite of his greater strength. It's over, Amadeus. Hand us the Queen and come with us willingly. It'll all be easier then." His tone was dry and deadpanned, almost as if exhaustion was on the verge of consuming him. Then again, he had seen him pull through odds much worse with his own eyes. "We should have never underestimated your ability to kill those you once dined and drank and celebrated with, I'll admit. But this war is not yet over, you ought to understand that. Even if we lose here, on our own soils, we'll still reign victorious by the end. Pretending otherwise is blind stupidity."

His words impacted him harshly, he looked even more reluctant to fight._ That's what I ought to do to survive this encounter._ But, the Captain spoke first. "How, I wonder, did Maccabeus and the Prophets get you to speak like this? Like you were more machine than man, a zealot with not a sense of logic? And here you stand, defending them, why I cannot comprehend. Why, Amadeus, did they have to deprive you from us, out of all those they could have corrupted? Is this profound work that your Gods are responsible for? Taking a good man and stripping him of his morals and ethics?"

"Says the man who murdered three he once called friends." He didn't flinch at his second remark. _He's accepted their deaths. This is unsettling. He'll not hold back against me._ "Because I never pretended to be anything more than a monster. You, on the other hand, were the best our race had to give. A pathfinder for the right direction with which the Jiralhanae should move on and forwards. One which did _not_ involve enslaving whole other species or tribes from our own as a means to achieve our goals."

"And yet, our world has never been similar to that of tales of heroes and monsters battling before the good prevails and saves all. We have always been about war, whether we are good or not, and we will end in war. There is no other way."

"Only because we have never tried. Do I believe that there will be no more wars when this is over? No, I am not deluded as you believe me to be. But we do not need to depend on war to build our society and eventually destroy it with war. You have always been the prime reason to support my beliefs. Now, however, the Covenant has used you, Amadeus, turned you from your own ideals." He looked like he begged with his eyes for a shimmer of hope within him, that he would come back at the exchange of a few words. "Then perhaps it was for the best."

Without further warning, he swung _Integrity_, the attacks only just barely deflected by his rapidly drawn _Vengeance_. His slightly talkative and analytical voice within shut down as he simply engaged his fight mode. _Swing upwards, block right, block left, right again, swing downwards and leftwards, kick his shins, jump back from his counter…_ The entire room shook with the castle itself, stopping the two as his spheres landed on an exceedingly broken monitor he was thrown back against. He could only hear it whine for a second before it exploded against him.

He damn near flew forwards and hit his head against the glass encasement that held the Queen, still submissively waiting to be taken away. He felt warm water pool around his forehead as he tried to examine why his senses had so quickly been dulled. In spite of his impaired eyesight, he found clarity in light. Hundreds upon hundreds of memories swarmed into his mind, of things another being had done with his own body and spoke with his own mouth. He realized he was dying, and his final memories were that of his cruelty upon being controlled by the man he once called leader.

He couldn't see clearly anymore with sight so heavily damaged and with tears pooling from his golden eyes, broken and grieving. He couldn't find his friend anymore and hoped he wouldn't end him like this. He grew the strength to croak, "_TAURUS!_"

His sight was blurry, but he saw a purple body looming over him kneeling down as its white head got closer. "_Taurus, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for enslaving a race, for conducting experiments on our own, for fighting against you…_"

He was shushed as a caring hand lifted the back of his head. "It's alright, Amadeus. We'll get you to safety and we'll heal you once we're there. We'll–"

"_No, I won't make it out of this room, I know_." His voice filled with despair. He hadn't wanted to die young, to die here, or to die like this. But his mind searched whatever few wrongs he could right in his weakening state. He brought his hand instinctively to one of the compartments within his armor, holding out a palm-sized device within it. "_Taurus… this… this is what has indoctrinated the Queen… I… when Maccabeus ordered me to place it in her brain, he ordered for me to receive the same without my knowing… so I would not hesitate when the time came to deprive her of her own mind… but I think part of me knew what would happen… Within that device is a killswitch that will not harm her… Free her, Taurus… make rights where I've done wrongs… please… please forgive me…_"

"There is nothing to forgive, and I will be damned a million times by all the fucking Gods that mock us if you die with that in your mind. You could not have stopped it, Amadeus. I give you my word that I will end Maccabeus, the Covenant, and bring prosperity to the Jiralhanae." He knew he wouldn't get more of a goodbye than that from Taurus. His broken tone told him he could not fully accept Amadeus's death, and neither could he. The giant of mauve closed his eyes in grievance, while in his hands he took the second half of the submission apparatus and destroyed that in the Queen's brain. She screeched in pain and anguish and rage as she woke up from years of imprisonment when a final thought protruded from the back of his mind. "_Taurus…_"

He got closer, trying to make out what he said with his voice reduced to whispers. He listened as intently as he could, and Amadeus hesitated to speak, wondering if he'd lost his voice along with what little remained of his sight. He found a shadow of it in time.

"_Maccabeus… he knows all, Taurus… he has a devil… a voice… ears within your walls._" He felt cold. So cold. And then everything fell into darkness.

**19:56 – February 14****th****, 2541 – Jiraelhanor Tuvarios Primary Generator**

His shields were flaring, as slowly made himself climb up from the ground. He looked around him and limped towards her body, extending a hand that she grabbed. _John, put m-m-__**ME**__ in the s__**Y**__stem__**S**__, I kn__**O**__w a way out of th__**IS**__-__**IS**__._ He shook his head, trying to refuse her, but even he felt too lightheaded to continue. Five Chieftain Lieutenants and fifty Majors had deprived the two of their energy. Getting scraped by Gravity Hammers here and there had not helped their conditions. He did not want to know how badly he was internally bleeding, but he would pull through, and that was what mattered. Against his better judgement, he did as Kalmiya asked.

Fighting had been tough, but with Kalmiya having bouts with herself and involving his armor's systems in the process had made it much worse. He feared what was happening to her until she told him it was likely a virus created by the Covenant to counteract their proficiency with AIs. She showed him files and told him that her troubles were lynching her virus from her, but she had told him it was a task easier said than done. Now he looked around. "How do we get out of here?"

"_Y-y-you __**DON'T**__. I will shut us in until fri__**END**__ly forces arrive to __**TAKE**__ down the d-d-__**DOOR**__. That should __**GIVE **__you __**TIME**__ for a breather. Mal__**FUN**__ctioning a __**GEN**__erator is quite the t-t-__**TASK**__. Don't w-w-__**WORRY**__, I can __**HAND**__le the __**REST**__._"

"Kalmiya, enough. You've overworked yourself too much. If you keep this up–"

"_I-__**I**__ know, __**JOHN**__. It was __**INEVITABLE**__… I've been a-a-__**ALIVE**__ and w-w-__**WORKING**__ non__**STOP**__ since the d-d-__**DAY**__ of m-m-__**MY CREATION**__… I-I-__**I'M **__sorry for __**LYING**__ to you… but if I d-d-__**DECOMPOSE**__ myself in the __**SYSTEMS**__… m-m-__**MY FRAGMENTS**__ should k-k-__**KNOCK DOWN**__ all their __**COMMUNICATIONS**__._"

"Kalmiya, _enough_. We're getting you back to Doctor Halsey. She can fix you. She _will_ fix you. Not after everything–"

Her hologram popped up, blinking frequently as clones shadowed her very image. She gave one last look at him as a holographic tear ran down her check. She smiled. "_T-t-__**THANK**__ you… __**JOHN**__… for e-e-__**EVERYTHING**__._"

And then she disappeared. He didn't know what to do. He punched the monitor and tore it apart to find her, tried to summon her back through his palm, took the chip from the back of his head. It was missing the golden glow. She was gone.

**Author's Notes: Ok, so recounting the events of this chapter, we have:**

**\- First Sangheili AI**

**\- Insight on the River of Eternals**

**\- The death of the remainder of what was once Tartarus's squad**

**\- Freedom of the Rachni Queen**

**\- Kalmiya's rampancy and sacrifice**

**\- Dossiac's successful retaking**

**Not a very cheerful chapter, I'll admit, but hey, at least several important things are happening. With the Jiralhanae's homeworld retaken, the end of the war will soon begin. As my special treat, I will finally get to an ark I've been waiting to get to for a while (though it will be shortened, this war has been long enough), and I know you will all enjoy it. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and please review on what you've enjoyed so far.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Notes: Ladies and gentlemen, I am back! Sorry for taking so long, I created a new (not so popular) story and gave it priority before returning to the equalitarian attention-receiving story system. I'm very excited to bring you this chapter, because you know what it means and what will come from it. Without further ado, enjoy!**

**PART 2- THE GREAT WAR**

**Arrival at Csodaszarvas**

**February 14****th****, 2541:** The first Sangheili AI, 51R-4L0S or 'Siralos', was created and the Battle for Ruthvor took place. In a swift, hammer-like strike, Dossiac was taken from General Maccabeus. It was not easy, and of the twenty-two hundred ships sent to take the planet, more than sixty percent were completely destroyed. Maccabeus survived again, his remaining ships fleeing at the great losses taking place. His retreat, along with the deaths of Chieftain Lieutenants Amadeus and Lepidus, the final living members of Tartarus's former squad, have given a massive moral boost to Alliance troops.

In spite of all the victories, however, AI Kalmiya decomposed herself within the capital's communications system when overwhelmed by Rampancy to kill herself whilst helping the duo made by Supreme Commander Spartan John-117 and Major Spartan Nara-312. Sanghelios being the final homeworld to be retaken before taking on High Charity itself, ships and weaponries are being mass produced to end the war for good. While there is still a good remainder of Covenant forces intact, not far behind from the SA's own strength, having two remaining strongholds would imply that the previous armies and armadas are far less sparse than before.

It is calculated that Sanghelios and High Charity should each have fleets of five thousand ships to protect them, estimating how the High Prophets would take the loss of their second most important planet. With the Rachni Queen rescued, not eliminated, from Dossiac, many of her brood went rampant on the field and started attacking their former masters. While this would not have much of an effect on their stronger troops and were rather eliminated quickly, the Covenant has lost an entire race along with the fall of the Jiralhanae homeworld, bringing a crippling loss to the hegemony as a whole in one day.

**February 19****th****, 2541:** While most ships stayed to ensure Dossiac would not be retaken, a few brought back the Spartans as well as Chieftain Captain Taurus and Chieftain Lieutenant Samallix to Reach. Though the latter pair is staying within his ship in the planet's orbit, medical attention has been requested for the Captain, who is beginning to suffer from severe trauma. Having killed his brother's entire squad, with whom he was close enough to call members of his pack, has brought a great instability in his mental health. The Spartans are being brought home to receive the newly produced Mjolnir Mark VI variants, as well as certain AI commissioning for a select few of them.

**July 13****th****, 2541:** A stalemate has been reached between both bands, with the SA having lost too many forces retaking Dossiac and the greater part of their strength spread out to protect their remaining colonies. The Covenant has made no move, but next to none believe they are taking a break. Many guess they are strengthening their defenses to the point of making their outposts and bases incapable of being breached, others think they are amassing an offensive armada again, others think they are developing technologies to help with the fight, and others think they are searching any Forerunner facility within unmarked territory. The Leadership is betting on all and they are having their defenses spread as opposed to attacking with too few troops, though they mean to send Spartans on recon missions so formal operations may be formed.

**January 29****th****, 2542: **Just as they had guessed, many of the Covenant's places of worth and strategic value are heavily guarded by armadas, some which number in over a thousand. A few stealth drones were sent to search High Charity, being destroyed within the hour of their arrival. Though the SA was sure that they had already moved the massive construction, the drones sent back reports of a fleet that may very well have had over four thousand ships. No confirmation was given, but the Leadership has still deemed it as the final objective, trying to protect the decreasing number of colonies from being glassed anymore by the Covenant's rampant glassing fleets. Chieftain Taurus is still under psychological therapy, capable of fighting again but with a still fragile state of mind.

**03:11 – February 1****st****, 2542 – Retribution's Sword Bridge**

Through flames and hells his ship had survived, each encounter making it stronger. The Supercarrier could only be repaired, but its master knew better to keep it from needing as much. He watched his following ships propel past his, thrusters burning an azure blue that reminded him of his nephew's fiery eyes. He had damned him, his brother, his squad and his own cousin thrice over when Dossiac fell. An acceptable loss to be sure, knowing that the Sacred Rings still awaited the holy touch. But the fact that his homeworld had fallen, the one he had destroyed a great many clans and aided just as many more to earn it, left a deep, bitter taste in him that started at his mouth and ended in the pit of his stomach.

He remembered the life he was given centuries back, the one marked by his sister's death. He remembered the father that had promised him the entire kingdom of the Jiralhanae reach, the brother he never grew to love, the cousin he turned to in times of doubt, the nephews he fostered and raised. Sometimes, he damned his father more than any of his previous family and close allies that had turned on him. He damned and damned he who had forsaken him and all those that bore his bloodline. It was no wonder they were all paying the price now.

Maccabeus grunted and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He'd stopped gaining more than four hours' worth of respite a long time past, and a war he was starting to lose was not helping him rest easier. If only he wasn't surrounded so damned much by general stupidity, things might have gone better. But out of the three Hierarchs, one was impulsive on stupid intents, and the other two acted smartly when it best suited them. The previous Arbiter had fucked their chances at gaining a great Forerunner armada, even when he'd advised the Prophets to send another in his stead.

All he found were failures that hardly did anything to try to fight alongside one another in their own vain attempts at glory. It was costing them some much needed victories, now that each homeworld gained was a homeworld lost. For all he tried, he could not find out how the Heretics had made their orbital stations, the ones that punched through his highest powered ships. He kept raiding when and where he could, glassing a few colonies here and there. It angered the Alliance, and at times their mistakes led to more victories, but nothing grand. The Prophets believed that faith would make them ultimately triumphant, but Maccabeus did not share their delusions of grandeur.

So now he waited, his armada of three thousand at his disposal. With this many ships, he knew he was far more like to win back Dossiac, but he chose not to waste his fleet on that. Even if it was his home, a shite home, he wanted to use his fleet to the best of his abilities to bring rupture into the Alliance. He wanted to hit them hard, as hard as they had whenever news reached of one of their great victories. In the end, Te and Balaho and Eayn and Palamok were still secondary worlds. They were losses easy to recover from, moral losses overshadowed by the fear instilled into their troops. But Dossiac, fallen and crippled sent them a message. He would not have his kind start to doubt him after more than a century of strong rule.

He waited for the San'Shyuum to bring the results of their almost year-long research. At Dossiac, not only had the Spartans breached the capital's main building, _his castle_, but they had managed to spread a virus through their communications. When many of the forms of contact were lost and the troops and ships were isolated, the Alliance had gained the edge over him it needed to win the great homeworld. A fragment of the virus had reached his ship, and he had had the hindsight to isolate it and keep it intact.

When he managed to call for retreat, he had the Prophets' best engineers look it over and study it. Upon further inspection, it had been one of the Alliance's conscious electronic units, the ones that boasted of as much life as the organic ones on the field. Alive yet near destroyed, the team of knowledgeable San'Shyuum did their best to restore that lone fragment within five months. Then came the hard part. To this day, they still tried to decipher the information it had within its confines, anything they might use to cripple the Humans that had started the entire damned conflict. And then came the call through the comms.

"_Chieftain General, we were unable to gain information on their homeworld. There is, however, another important location you should know of, one that may best serve you're interests._" He read the bits and pieces of the info sent to his console and its location besides. It did not take him long to finish it, and by the end, he had a cruel smile tugging the ends of his lips upwards with each second that passed. He ordered through the comms relay, "Set a course to these coordinates and ready for battle. It's time we paid back the Humans in full the debt they made when they stripped us of Dossiac."

**11:07 – February 9****th****, 2542 – CASTLE Base, New Alexandria Outskirts, Nexus, Reach**

He walked past groups of his kind, his kin. They saluted him whenever they saw him, some eager to greet him like a brother, others eager to look at him like an example. The model Spartan, as all should aspire to be. That was what he gathered from how the third generation acted towards him, and being a Spartan for so many more years than them had taught him to read the subtleties in their gestures. He had guessed that Kurt's 'older brother' relationship towards them had led them to aspire to be like him, and watching Kurt follow his commands in a heartbeat lent him their loyalty. In the months he had trained them he came to know of that. In teams of five, one of the second generation and four of the third, they came to know how the other worked.

They were twitchy, or at least Kelly said as much. After a fair amount of simulations, he noted they were too trigger happy for their skills, a trait that he knew could take much away from their values as assets. They took the first chance to eliminate enemies when encountering them, or performed the fastest assassination they could on targets of interest. Under other circumstances, he would implore they continue, but he noted that their striking efficiency was bred by hatred. He knew hatred. He had learned the purest form of rage little more than two years back. Understanding that they had volunteered to fight against the Covenant because of their tragic childhoods, he had his brethren train them to let go of that anger, the anger that could compromise the mission, their teammates and themselves. Some were receptive, others less so.

Nara had fooled a better part of the world with her cold attitude, and even tricked most of the smaller part that believed her as prejudiced as those with her with her unbiased leading skills. John saw through her though. He personally saw to her training, on most occasions leading the team with her and three of her own siblings. Even after the day was over, he would take to drilling her personally, through hand to hand combat, weapons mastering or strategizing battlefields. She was an able student, taking his lessons to heart surprisingly quickly. Still, he saw her faults in barely controlled rage, something he wanted her to learn to dominate. Which was why he made her run several simulations against Sangheili teams and Jiralhanae packs. Several times. Until her true colors finally outed.

It took a while, little over three hours, but John began to note her lapses in her stony tactic. They gave way for a far more ferocious side of her. He noted the Jiralhanae earned that treatment more than the rest, and he figured past trauma was the root of her vile murder sprees. After all, Ackerson had made sure to recruit the orphans of war that would actually volunteer to undergo several years of combat training and operational procedures only to throw their lives away in suicidal missions. So long as they got their vengeance. And Nara was surprisingly hell-bent on doing so, going as far as to shoving a grenade down a Jiralhanae's throat.

That had been enough proof for him to pull her out. Rather than confront her about it then and there, he invited her to spar with him, both garmented in their full Mjolnir armors. They still had time before he had to train the whole Spartan branch in terms of large scale operations. So there they were, exchanging punches and kicks and blocks and counters. "You've shown a lot of efficiency in the simulations."

"Thanks. Years of training does that to you." Both their tones were level even in the midst of the fight, John keeping the upper hand after having far more experience. Not that she was giving in easily. "It does. When you fight long enough, you grow more resilient to stress and exhaustion. Though I saw a few changes during your final rounds in the firefight."

"Is that right?" To most, she may have well been an emotionless, talking machine. John heard the uncertainty in her voice, resembling slightly the reaction one would have at being caught red-handed. John nodded and quickly ducked his head under a roundhouse kick. "Your initial performance had been effective and pragmatic. You didn't waste a single bullet unless you knew it would hit its mark, and any form of fighting closer than that you ended quickly. Finishing the ending waves you began using your ammo far more freely and beat several enemies more times than necessary."

"I was getting tired." A blatant lie, even by Spartan standards. John shook his head, faked a left jab and successfully landed a right haymaker when she dodged into his range. "Tired enough to vaporize a Chieftain's neck and head with a plasma grenade?"

"That's not… the simulation was ending. I may as well have made use of whatever weapons I had left." She was cracking, and John saw that not just through her voice. He was winning ground with much less resistance on her end. She was getting sloppy and they both knew it. He pressed on. "Even when a mission is over and you are called to the LZ for pick up, you don't know if the Covenant could knock down the Pelican or Phantom. There are no rules on the battlefield. Those wasted bullets could be the difference between life and death in such a scenario. Why did you waste them?"

"For one, the plasma grenade in the Chieftain's throat could very well function for a scare tactic. When the enemy is afraid of their opponent's ruthlessness, they're bound to commit more mistakes. And any of the weapons they dropped on the ground could have served the same purpose my own had if I just picked them up." She was a little stressed now with hints of irritation. She pushed against him in retaliation, but he could tell it was to hide the fact that he was beating her. He'd learned as much from his own youthful fights against Sam and Fred and Linda and Kelly, whether he was on the giving or receiving end. "Jiralhanae are the least likely to be overwhelmed by fear in battle. If anything, they'd be overcome with rage."

"Then it still serves its purpose. Angry Brutes are far more prone to committing mistakes than composed ones, and they can't make a ruckus anymore when they're dead." He was close to hitting the mark, and Nara was now focusing everything on dodging or blocking his strikes. She stopped trying counters against him when he took them to his advantage. "Then I suppose that's your duty, to kill the Brutes. Humanity's survival is only a secondary objective."

"_That's not what it is. Don't pretend to know what you're vaguely aware of._" She had shoved him back and was landing several hits on him, albeit with the sacrifice of her defense. Even in her vigorous assault, John was winning against her. He could see that now she wanted to go down with at least getting him battered up. That was worsening her chances to reign victorious. "You'd be surprised about what I know."

And in a final stroke, he knocked her down with the might of his left hook. He had turned off the power nodes in his right hand's prosthetic knuckles, but he still didn't want to have an unfair advantage over his rather new teammate. Walking over to her body, Nara shaking her head a few seconds after meeting the floor, he extended his right hand. She took it sluggishly and helped herself up. There wasn't the energy in her she'd had to begin with. She cut to the chase before he could. "If you haven't already, I'm sure you're going to pull up my files and get a read on me."

"No." She was surprised by that, quickly turning her gaze to meet her visor with his own's reflection. "I could have had it a while ago, true, but I would much rather hear the truth from you rather than read it from a paper from ten years ago."

She was standing still, almost as if she had been frozen on the spot. She looked hesitant and unsure, her muscles stressing when she tried to find a stance that relaxed her best. Whatever she may have had to say, John would not hear it with the new arrival. Her pristine white hair flowed a bit freely in a cut above her shoulders, her ice blue eyes awaiting his response. John sighed, knowing why she was there. "We'll discuss this later, Nara. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir." She saluted him and Doctor Halsey before taking her leave, eager to depart the uncomfortable situation. When she did, the woman gave the warrior an expectant look, and John felt as forced as Nara had a few minutes before him. He reluctantly began to walk with her, the two enduring an uncomfortable silence neither was willing to break. They had already spoken the same conversation at least twice every month since their return, and she had not backed down during any one of their encounters. Since he had become Supreme Commander, Halsey could not give him orders, meaning he had gotten it his way even when she tried to pull strings. That didn't stop her from trying.

"You know what I'm going to say, and I can't believe you've been so damn stubborn for so long. This is all for your best and hers, and every time I come talk to you, you still give me the same answer. Give her a run just for one mission, John, that's all I ask." Her tone lingered along the lines of one defeated, yet not quite yet dead. He knew better than to grant her request, little as she made it seem. One run was all he needed to grow terribly attached again. He feared that. He feared that far too much. "I can't do that, ma'am. You know why. There are plenty of other candidates able to take her in. If by any chance she found any of my previous records, she would fear staying with me."

"John… when I created Kalmiya, a prototype, I based her off three of my genetically cloned brains. She was me, in essence. A younger, somewhat more innocent version of me, but me nonetheless. I couldn't have made the sacrifice she did to save you. As cruel as the truth may be, I fear death too much to face it like she did. I don't fear the Leadership, I don't fear the _Covenant_ because I know that they know that I'm far too valuable to keep alive. If anyone here could unlock the secrets of the Forerunners, it'd be me. That would be the ticket to keep me alive where anyone else would perish.

"Kalmiya may have gotten her roots from me… but she learned from you, John. She was able to give her diminishing life against her Rampancy to keep you safe and to ensure victory on Dossiac. Even after everything, even when she had her mind molded after mine, she did what she did because of you. And I assigned and entrusted Kalmiya with you, John. _She_ chose you." Her words hit John hard, he didn't want to admit it, but they did. A part of him yearned to say yes from the moment she brought the offer, but he had promised himself he would never replace the partner that had stuck out for him more times than he could count. Then the alarms blared.

Instinctively, he grabbed his motherly figure firmly yet gently by the arm and the two took off in a sprint. Through the earpiece he was given, he ordered through his heavy voice, "_All Spartans, report to station. I repeat, all Spartans, report to station. This is not a drill._"

On the way to her labs, Blue Team had fallen into the sprint with him, forming a defensive wall around the woman that had taught them and trained them since young. Reaching it, they found the rest of the platoon awaiting them around the grounds below it. John saw as much through the bullet-proof windows. She was quick to reach the main consoles, where the chip he had handed in, the chip that had housed _Kalmiya_, lay within one of the ports. There it began to glow in cobalt and violet hues. Halsey took it out and slowly handed it to him. "Please, John, just keep her safe."

His right hand hovered over the crystalline data port, where the brand new AI awaited for a partner. He looked at her square in the eyes, tensely and silently murmuring, "_She can never know about Kalmiya._"

"She won't. All files within this facility have been erased and I've built into her a virus that can and will activate should she ever come across them. It will erase her memories on the matter and subconsciously make her stray away from them. Only you can deactivate it, should you choose to." And then he took it from her grasp. Once it had glowed gold and hazel, now azure and lilac shining through the center. He sighed, knowing what would happen next. Everyone looked at him when he put it in the port in the hind part of his helmet. He felt the familiar shiver down his spine and waited her first words. "_Hm, so this is the legendary Supreme Commander's armor system. Not bad, I could get used to it. A bit emptier than I thought it would be, though. Kind of like a caveman's head. Designation CTN 0452-9, in other words, name's Cortana. I suppose I could ask you about yours, chief, but, the records have kindly enough let me in on that info._"

And instantly, he regretted placing her within his helmet. Kalmiya had made the same comment when she was first introduced to him, and now he was stuck with a copy when he had failed to save her in the last battle for the Jiralhanae's homeworld. He shook his head firmly, coldly stating, "Keep your mind on the objective and prioritized information, nothing more."

"_Alright then, cowboy, no need to pull up the whole heartless soldier getup. Just trying to make conversation._" She sounded hurt, wounded, but in truth, John would rather that than to get friendly with her. Doing so, he would be betraying the memory of his old partner. It hurt him to remember. And having the spitting image of her predecessor only augmented his sense of guilt and shame. Even still, he parted his emotions from his rational mind to focus on the topic, the one which had put every one of his brethren on edge. Including himself. "What's the status on the enemy? Where did they arrive? What's the status on the ODPs? What's their ETA on the points of interest?"

"They're many, _too many_. My god, I don't remember ever seeing this many in one place. I count more than twenty-one hund– twenty-_two_ hundred ships. They're behind Csodaszarvas, and they just keep pouring in, I'll need time to move my works, save the research. We need to plan mass evacuations if we're going to survive. I… they've stopped. They have three thousand ships with them." What had started as pure distress from the collected woman turned into reluctant acceptance. All John could think of was how many lives would die to keep the planet safe. To keep his home safe. _If_ it could be saved.

"If they're that many, then we know who's commandeering the armada. He won't show mercy, and neither can we. We'll do like you say and focus on evacuations and saving your research. The enemy won't get any intel from here, nor from us. We'll take out the bigger ships if it comes to that." Doctor Halsey smiled at him, hints of pride shown the twist of her lips. She gave it to the rest of his team as well, and she nodded at them. "Then I best get the Rachni Queen. I've helped her recover to the best of my ability, and she's shown fair signs of progress. Sad to say she won't add her troops to this war, 'my children have bled enough', she says. I don't blame her, but might be that with these news she may have a drastic change of mind. Do your best, Spartans, I expect no less."

**12:31 – February 9****th****, 2542 – Bloody Dagger Med Bay**

Taurus was on the comms with his team, had been for the past two hours. Now he spoke with them on the run. He had his _Vengeance_ sheathed, twin Plasma Rifles on his hips and a Brute Shot on his back. He didn't remember the last time he had taken such a long break from combat, and he didn't deny that a part of him had yearned it beyond doubt. Another part, a broken part, remembered the faces and dying words of the friends he had murdered. Talking with his living squad, stationed on Dossiac's defenses, he grew slightly better every week. And just a few days away from the anniversary of his homeworld's retaking, his uncle had come to reap what he had sowed.

He was still talking on the comms while being updated by Samallix on his side about the plans being made planetside. He grew anxious about the great battle to come, offhandedly telling his team of the plans being made and of his uncle's untimely arrival. "Gods be damned, with Dossiac lost to him, Maccabeus will go as far as his will takes him to crush the Alliance, starting with the Humans and their Reach. If he knew how his defenses fell, then it might be that he knew that this was the home of the Spartans. Elsewise, he may have only wanted to wound the Humans just as they had shamed him. That's why he's doing this. He's morally crippled, and that's just about the only good within this nigh endless pile of shit."

"_We've endured our own endless piles of shit, the Humans can damn well endure theirs, the great pansies. Let them prove themselves on the homeworld._" Bracktanus's growl gained several voices against his in disapproval, from shakes of the heads to scolding responses. Gargantus stepped in when the small commentary was over. "_So, plenty and more there now smells of shit?_"

"_And the rest is also shite, I presume. How do you plan to proceed against his strength?_" Ceretus questioned, his face showing worry only through his eyes. The others nodded their heads through the split screen, wondering about the cold warrior's inquiry. "Not sure, but almost everything will be focused on defense. Only a few counterattacks and offensive missions will be executed. Right now we're focusing on moving the Rachni Queen. Reports say she will be going with Halsey on the UNSC Constantinople, and both will be departing for Earth in the next hour."

"_She's leaving? Better off that way. Don't get me wrong, she made the Spartans and everything, but I think a look from a Hunter and it's her own frail heart that'll kill her. Ha!_" Gargantus's heavy chortle did not lighten Taurus's mood. Not even Samallix's firm grasp on his arm tempered his grave disposition. "I doubt it. She's more the like to stand before a Hunter tall and strong. She does not know how to kneel, she is exceptionally strong that way. If she's being forced to leave Reach, then that says plenty of my uncle's impending wrath. I'll speak to you when I can, it's time for me to head to the bridge. The home fleet will need all the aid it can get."

**14:41 – February 9****th****, 2542 – New Alexandria Outskirts**

Again they marched. They had been running previously, but now they were nearby one of the advanced towns neighboring the great city. They had all been split the way the Chieftain General had spaced his grand armada, and he had chosen his morning partner as his only company. The silence of the two gave little room for Cortana to speak when it wasn't necessary, leading to her somewhat offended attitude. Earlier, before them being split, he had tried to keep good terms with her. He had almost called her Kalmiya. He became reserved again. Even Nara had noted, and questioned him on it once. He gave her as many answers as she had given him that morning.

The pair was now on an even march, entering the suburban prelude to the city to go by unnoticed. It had been bombarded and the first Covenant troops had landed there. That much he could see from the marks the vehicles had left, the footprints the soldiers had imprinted on the ground, and the great black craters the Carriers had left. And the corpses. He saw the streets polluted with them, on the sidewalks, in the houses, in the cars, in piles where the survivors had been captured. It was a sickening sight, and John's former repenting silence had transformed into a monstrous muteness. It felt like a beast lived within him, thriving on death. Death from those who had killed the people, death from those who had burned his home.

Cortana didn't know him well enough to tell apart his different types of silences, his mourning from his concentration, and remained irritated at him. Though she had had the decency to leave the quiet uninterrupted in respect for the recently departed. Nara looked to be doing no better than him. He heard her fingers grip her Battle Rifle strongly enough to nearly puncture holes into the weapon whenever they walked by another unburied graveyard. It was when they saw some of the bigger holes on the ground beside a school, blackened and several dozen meters deep, that she stopped. He turned his head halfway to meet hers and gave short, curt orders.

"Don't stop, we're still a few kilometers away from New Alexandria, and we're meant to be the ones that lead the defenses and evacuations there. The holes are too deep to pass around, the school's our only way through. What we find in there is probably the worst thing that we'll see today, but if we don't get to the city, then the city will be turned to ashes with the people inside. Let's go." And with that, he started marching again, if not a bit more impatiently. The steps he heard following him were slower, hesitant and even fearful. But the beast within him begged to kill every single Covie that had wrought his home with so much tragedy, and he half sprinted briskly.

Inside, the halls had been empty, many of the doors previously closed and locked now laying on the ground within the classrooms and rooms they had meant to protect. Blood pooled out from the classrooms, so he walked quickly as to not see how far the Covenant had gone to exact its vengeance on their plentiful victories. So did Nara, passing him rather quickly when she looked at the ground, unable to pick up her sight on the terrible scenery of the killed and tortured. He caught up to the kindred spirit and walked besides her, and they had almost reached the end of the horrible journey when they found the hall at the other end to be caved in, along with the top of the structure there.

When they realized they had to find another way out, another way through the rooms of the damned, both tensed up immeasurably. But while John had his ire to keep him moving, Nara stayed, looking at the blocked way intently as if she'd been cemented to the ground in the position she was in. "There has to be a way to knock out the debris. We've got grenades. Enough blasts should be able to–"

"There's at least four meters of crumpled stone between us and the other side. We'd be wasting our explosives and we'd get nowhere. We have to find another way." Now she looked at him, before him in a split second. The tone she used next was one he had never heard, one he had never wanted to hear, one he knew was born from terror and agony. "But– I– there's probably– _please–_"

"Nara, there's no other way. I'm sorry. This is the last thing I wanted to see, too. But we can't let our emotions or memories hold us back. The minute we do, the ruin of one school will become into one of a thousand." He had to grip and hold her hand to keep her moving. She wasn't fighting back, but she made no efforts of her own to walk. She stumbled clumsily like a spoiled child being dragged by a parent after a recent scolding. He truly felt sorry for her, knowing she was enduring pain. It might have been one akin to that which made her hate the Covenant, he thought.

"_This is terrible. I've read the reports, but nothing comes close to watching the real deal. I… go through the smaller hall on the right. At the end is the food court. Out the other way should be another hall with an exit._" He nodded, and soon they were before the closed doors of the great dining room. She shook her head lightly, fearfully so when he looked at her. He sighed and pushed the doors open. And then they were met with the sight they had been running away from since the start of the excursion into the school.

The corpses lay in disarray, but all were still in pools of their own blood. They had been children, fifth graders the absolute eldest, with only a few teachers around that looked like they had stood between the intruders and the students. Their bodies were incomplete, to say the least. Missing arms and legs and severed heads spoke of wounds produced by weapons he did not know. Only he did, and he had hoped it hadn't come to that. Only the Covenant's Jiralhanae were capable of eating their victims. He closed his eyes in pure sorrow.

A heavy _thud_ brought him from his silent mourning, and he turned to find Nara on her knees. She was shaking, her free hand gently touching a puddle of blood nearby her body. She was free from his grip when he moved his hand to her shoulder as a sign of comfort. It gave her none. Instead, she grabbed the sides of her helmet, shaking more and her breathing becoming ragged. Her moment was interrupted by Cortana, whose tone spoke of sympathy and warning. "_Contacts nearby, please, keep your heads up. If we couldn't die before, we can't die now. We owe it to them, to avenge them. Nara, please, get up, you need to keep on fighting, you need–_"

But she already had, and not the way either had expected. She was sprinting, having tossed her Battle Rifle away after hearing her words. He ran after her, not fast enough. He couldn't make out the words of the Jiralhanae squad nearby by the time she had found them. She had turned right, and many of the savages had yelped in surprise and excitement in the prospect of killing a demon. Then they had turned into terrible cries that brought John back the memories of when he had blacked out.

When he had turned right to the hall she had gone to, four of the five were already dead, missing several torn-off pieces of their bodies. The last one, the captain, had both kneecaps destroyed, and she was on top of him. He screamed when she dug her thumbs into his eyes and wrapped her hands around his head. In three seconds, he had crushed and imploded the right and left part of his head, leaving the middle hardly intact. The middle she grabbed as if her hands were claws and tore it apart. There was nothing left of his head and she was beginning to tear apart his neck when he caught up to her.

He wrapped her hands around her back and lifted her high into the air, mentally grunting at the weight of the struggling Spartan he carried. She flailed her legs, her arms, her head, her _everything_ to free herself. She screamed and screamed endlessly, incapable of forming words and resorting to wails of fury and despair. He had to wait until her blackout ended and she went limp, leading him to let her go and place her gently back on the floor. She looked at the ground again and hugged herself, now trembling fully. One hand John had placed on her shoulder and she clasped him tightly, draining his shields with her strength. Saying nothing, he wrapped his own arms around her more gently and grabbed the back of her helmet gently. All he could hear was her heavy breathing.

"We need to go, Nara. I know how this… Reach needs us. Our Spartans need us. We need to go." But they stayed that way for fifteen minutes more, an everlasting eternity for a Spartan with a purpose. Then again, John knew she had lost plenty of hers when she saw the children's corpses.

**20:00 – February 9****th****, 2542 – CASTLE Base Spartan Barracks**

He sighed. The knowledge of Blue Team being whole and safe, along with Red Team, Green Team and Gold Team had given him reason to be relieved. The fact that none of the IIIs had taken casualties as well. In a sort of ways, the day had been a 'success' on their end. After all, New Alexandria was only slightly crippled and eighty percent of evacuations had gone on without much difficulty. The truth of the rest of the world was far from it. Most of the ODPs had been destroyed, only having thirty remaining with good chunks of the fleet to protect their unmatched titanic lances. And they still faced two thousand of Maccabeus's ships, if not a little more.

He knew the battles to come on his home grounds would be tireless, but also quick, faster than any other part of the war he had been involved in. For better or for worse, the battles on Reach marked the beginning of the end of the war. More than enough portions of Human HIGHCOM had voiced their worries on the Covenant possessing the knowledge on their most important locations. The SA had the Unyielding Hierophant, only now was Humanity being fully integrated into its confines. If their homeworlds were recaptured, they had a center to go to. And they had the knowledge that the enemy valued the worlds as much as they did. If so much as one of the Prophets got a whiff on Earth's whereabouts, then the entirety of the Covenant's forces would be glassing it until not a trace of sentient existence would be left on the world.

It all compiled into an enormous amount of stress. Death would overwhelm either one of the bands, now that a better part of the smaller colonies had fallen. As grim and cruel as it sounded, the sacrifices of the lesser known and inhabited planets had helped concentrate the fleets into more formidable amounts. Still, they were sparse and under too much paranoia to leave the colonies unprotected. Not that it mattered anymore. For better or for worse, the war was going to come to an end, and it would always be darkest before dawn.

John thought grimly of the pain Nara had endured. He saw himself in her when she was paralyzed at the sight, when she was far too strong and fast for him to contain, when she exacted vengeance as she saw fit, when she lost control and the world around her lost color only to be replaced by different hues of crimson. The experienced made him put his thoughts and overall self aside for the mission to keep a cool mind for the both. Like she had in the simulations, she was much more trigger happy when they came across bands of the great brutes. Only this time, she was eagerly so from the start and lasted that way until the night came and Maccabeus gave pause to recollect troops and information. Thoughts on his companion led him to question his temporary partner.

"Cortana, what's Nara's status?" Putting personal feelings aside helped him look at the AI far more pragmatically and practically unattached in terms of emotions with her. She, in turn, had also forgotten her initial annoyance with his cold attitude and focused all her efforts on optimizing the mission. Somehow, she still warmed up to him, though not as greatly as Kalmiya had. If only she knew how he cared for her, he thought. She appeared in her violet form with shorter, shoulder-cut hair as opposed to her predecessor's, "In her room, she's been there for a while. I– hold on, her armor's still, and I'm not getting a pulse. Strange, I don't think she's–"

"_Are you sure you're not getting anything._" He was up, out of his armor as well to 'enjoy' a few more hours of being only in his bodysuit before putting the shell on without knowledge on when would the next time he could take it off be. He had no problem with the notion, but Halsey had insisted for him and his brethren. She hardly cared enough for the IIIs to tell them the same, so most kept theirs on. Nara would have been the last on the list of three hundred to take it off, he was sure. Thoughts of after effects on reliving her traumas earlier that day were all John could think of. "I'm sure. Look, chief, let's not jump into conclusions. She's a Spartan, maybe we can get– no, wait, John!"

But he was already sprinting. Even in only his black, skin tight bodysuit, his strides thundered through the hall, as if a train had grown a pair of legs and taken a run. Past IIs and IIIs he went, many looking surprised at his distressed status. He had long since passed Sam when the giant had tried to follow him. He hoped he didn't find Kelly along the way, knowing she might be one of the few capable of catching up to him and making him stop. He didn't though, and his mind coursed through any and all elements within the base that could be used for suicidal intentions.

He didn't remember seeing any ropes around, nor any pills that could cause death when excessively consumed. Those that did were strictly monitored by the medics under Halsey's jurisdiction, and she was not one to pick her subordinates lightly. Laboratory break-ins would have been notified and contained before word could get out, so she couldn't have gotten the overdose there. _Weapons,_ the voice of his mind droned worriedly. Spartans were allowed their weapons when most soldiers weren't, especially now that the war had reached their front door. If Cortana hadn't read her pulse and it had been at the hands of a weapon, then he was too late.

When he reached her room, he pounded thrice at the door in hopes of a response. At the lack of that, he delivered several kicks with the soles of his feet to weaken the door. The ruckus was making a noise akin to a Raider's heavy steps, but he didn't care even when several of the IIIs walked out of their own quarters to look at the cause of the disturbance. When they saw his serial number on the upper right corner of his suit's chest, they knew better than to interrupt him. With the door weakened, he activated the power nodes on his knuckles to their maximum capacity and knocked the door open in a final strike.

Her Mjolnir power suit was laying in several pieces on the ground, as well as several tools he knew she used to take it off. She saw a black, crumpled bundle on the corner of her room next to her bed, the sheets only slightly bent and rippled as if she had only sat on it. With his heart in his ears, he hadn't heard the water running. He _did_ hear the door opening. And there she was, fine and well and wet. The Spartans had been outfitted with larger towels for whenever they took their baths, but they still fell a bit short. At least Nara's did.

She looked alarmed, her shoulder lengthed hazel-blond hair still clumped together with the water and stuck to her forehead. The white towel that covered and hid her body barely reached above her nipples and ended mid-thigh. She was still dripping, and then John knew she had gotten out during the middle of her shower. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so stupid. He looked at the ground to avoid meeting her brown-green eyes. "I'm sorry."

Before she could say a word, he walked out the door and shut it behind him, eager to get away from the uncomfortable situation. A thousand and one times his rational mind scolded him for not thinking of that earlier. The heat from her shower had likely masked her own, and even if she preferred her armor's confines more than anything, she may have wanted a bit of time away from it before keeping it on for what could possibly be several months. But he looked forwards and kept his gaze straight, marching firmly to keep others from asking questions. The IIIs backed down, but when he found Blue Team, he told them the truth.

Sam and Kelly had been especially sympathetic, reminding him that they didn't know how well he would have been or remained after the missions on Eayn. She could have very well commit suicide, if she took it in the worst manner possible. He listened, but he knew if he had stayed a bit longer with Cortana, she'd have figured it out and dissuaded him. Instead, he now sat on the team's personal lounge, wondering how the irrational, hidden side of him had taken control of him at the first thought of his partner being in danger. He cared for her the same way he cared for his team. In some ways, she was a younger him, and in other ways, she was his polar opposite. What he couldn't describe was what he felt when he saw her walk out of her personal bathroom, with nothing but her towel to conceal her womanhood.

He immediately grew the resolve to walk up to her in an hour's time and apologize to her for his unnecessary intrusion. Publicly or privately, he would do so depending on where she'd be, no matter the repercussions or the witnesses. He had made a fool of himself and he would be damned if he didn't make things right. If she asked him why he did what he did and was insistent on knowing the truth, he would tell her. Not his own experience, but his worries for her mental health. A half-truth, if there ever was one. And so, when the clock read twenty-one hundred hours, he got up from the lounge and walked towards the dining hall, where the IIIs all were.

Blue Team was in tow, waiting for him at the entrance while he walked towards her at her table. He had tried to tell them otherwise, but they were undeterred in their solidarity. A part of him was proud of them for that. She was eating with those he had identified as Carter, Jun, Rosenda, Catherine and Emile, her former team and current friends. All eyes were on him when he reached them and he knew that they knew what had happened.

The hall grew silent, almost awaiting the conversation to happen. Carter stood up first and saluted him, and the team followed suit without hesitation. Three hundred Spartan IIIs were listening, and Red and Green and Gold Teams had quieted down, also aware of the situation. The IIIs were showing far more questioning glances while the IIs showed more understanding and sympathy. One way or the other, John would not back down.

"At ease, Spartans. You may sit down." Most did, but Nara remained standing. She knew why he had approached them, and had the decency to ask, "Sir, would you prefer to have this conversation elsewhere?"

He shook his head. He had brought this upon himself. "This place will do."

He took a deep breath and sighed, bringing his hard, dark brown orbs to meet hers. "I am here to apologize for intruding and trespassing your room earlier. I made a decision and I made the wrong one. I invaded your privacy without your consent and without true cause to do so. That was my mistake and mine alone, and I promise not do so again."

Her gaze was soft on him, even after the day's events and the night's unexpected occurrence. He knew how to read expressions and he had learned how to determine the reasons behind them. She looked like she was quicker to forgive him for displaying cohesion and understanding when she took a fall earlier that day, as well as having trained with him for almost a year now and not reporting her break down during their mission. And she did. "It's fine, sir. An unexpected intrusion from you is much better than being caught off-guard by the enemy, as far as I'm concerned. I'm only wondering why you did it."

She had told him why she had broken down on the way back to CASTLE Base. She had told him she'd lost her parents when the Covenant invaded her home and greatly destroyed the colony Levosia. She'd survived by hiding under her bed. When she saw the Jiralhanae murder and eat her parents, she'd grown cold to the world and gladly conscripted herself into Ackerson's suicidal Spartan Program. Having watched the brutalized children had made her relive her parents' murder, which was why she had gone out of her way to make the patrol suffer.

"People take drastic measures they would never do in their thinking, rational minds when they've reached their limits. I wasn't sure what you had done when I'd found that your room didn't have your heat signature." His reply was soft, too, empathetic by Spartan standards. She smiled then, but it was a grim smile that curled her lips. She bitterly chuckled, "We're Spartans, sir, we don't have limits."

His gaze became hardened, weary and dark. When she looked at him she lost her smile, even when she knew his brooding demeanor wasn't directed at her. "Everyone has limits. They've just made us forget ours. Not remembering them is what brings us closest to failure and death."

If anyone in the hall could have guessed, his scolding remark sounded as if he meant it for himself. They wouldn't get the luxury of knowing what he meant, because with his final statement, he turned on his heels and left the hall.

**21:40 – February 9****th****, 2542 – UNSC Constantinople**

"Great, just great. Everyone else is out there, fighting for their lives, their families, their homes and we're stuck on guard duty with the _grub queen_, no less." Aaron grunted, waiting outside the door to the room with his partner on the other side. The older ODST sighed and shook his head at the younger's impatient attitude. "Keep your mouth shut, Aaron. We're doing some of the most important work here. If any of the Covies get their hands on the Rachni Queen again, we'll be fighting her soldiers all over again."

"No, we won't. I've heard Doctor Halsey gave her several implants that prevent her from being controlled and indoctrinated. If the Prophets get their hands on her again, they won't be getting their armies back. They'll just kill her, and I'm fine with that if I get to fight with the rest. It's not like she's helping her rescuers by making her little grubs fight with us." Hank shook his head now impatiently growling, "I said shut your mouth, Aaron. I'd like to see you send your daughter to war knowing she'll be the first one shot."

Aaron thought on his kid, no older than five and grunted, "It's not the same. Her Soldiers mature in like two months, and they're born with a pair of _acid tentacles_. They can fight pretty damn well on their own, and the bitch might not be at risk of extinction anymore if she helps us win the war, Hank. You know that better than I do."

"It's because of dumbasses like you the reason why there are still grudges between our different kinds in this alliance. I've lost a son fighting on Balaho and another on Dossiac, and I won't even get to go to their damn funeral because of this war. My third son and my little girl are on Earth with their mother, watching the gravediggers put their brothers' names on their tombstones while I'm here, fighting.

"I've been shot, burned with plasma, pierced with explosive needles and barely survived an explosive fuel rod. None of that hurts as much as knowing that I'll never get to see my sons have children of their own. That's what keeps me fighting through day and night. I eat when I can eat and I shit when I can shit. Otherwise, I forget about the hunger and keep my ass clenched for as long as I have to. I want the Covenant to suffer as much as I have before we kill them. The minute we all start hoping our allies grieve as much as we do is the minute the Alliance will completely fall apart. That's why I'm protecting the Rachni Queen, and why I'm not pissed that she won't send her children to die for us."

"Shit, Hank, I'm sorry. I didn't know–" Aaron was cut short by his superior twenty years his elder. "Just shut up, Aaron. And I'm still your Gunnery Sergeant, in case you've forgotten. You'll refer to me as such until you get your head out of your ass. Either ways, we'll be fighting tomorrow. The _Constantinople_ takes off in half an hour."

Now the two remained in silence, waiting on the ship to move. Aaron shifted the weight of his body from one foot to the other, anxiety consuming him with the uncomfortable silence he'd created. It wasn't until a ten man team of Sangheili and Jiralhanae approached them that he felt relieved. The head of the group, one of the former, spoke up, "Evening, soldiers. Is this where the Rachni Queen fares?"

"Yeah, she's here. Did the boys outside forget?" Hank talked about the rest of his platoon, the one outside the hall and at the training room, still intent on completing their objective. This time, one of the Jiralhanae answered his question. "Aye, they did. We just wanted to ensure where she was. After all, her safety is what's most important here."

"You're assigned here too? Well, you've got the right place. She's behind the doors. Nothing's getting into half a foot worth of steel with us around. You might want to bring something to drink, it's going to be a bit of time before we take off." Hank's drawl was laid back, bringing the ten to relax. Another of the more elite, a young one, from his tone, asked "May we see her?"

"Sorry, can't do that even if I wanted to. Only the Captain has clearance for this room. Everyone else gets to wait outside." At that, one of the Jiralhanae smiled and turned to the others, chuckling. "Told you taking the hand was a good idea. You'll be getting me cupam when we return to the General's ship."

Aaron hadn't processed what had happened, but Hank had thrown his knife at the brute's forehead and killed an elite with a blast of his shotgun. Another stepped up and stabbed him with her Energy Dagger, and Aaron hopped onto her back and sank his own dagger into her throat. He was stabbed in the back with a Brute Shot's blade end and thrown onto the floor. He watched his blood pool around him, cringing from the pain and unable to move his legs with his spinal cord's rupture.

A member of the surviving, covert team had searched the dead Jiralhanae's body until he retrieved an amputated hand from a pouch. Pressing it to the monitor on the right of the doorframe, the two gates retracted and opened, leading a distressed screech to originate from inside. There were attacks, including Biotic shots that the group countered with three of their own possessing the Element Zero in their veins. Aaron didn't have it in him to move anymore, but he could still hear their voices.

"That's the Queen? She's much smaller than the General made her out to be."

"Doesn't matter. We take her and we leave, that's our priority."

"Not anymore. You heard the Demons. Her armies shan't serve us anymore, not with how they've changed her."

"Then we kill her, end their chances of using her here and now. She has no more use for use, so it'd be better that she didn't have use for them either."

And then he heard wails of pain and agony that had been bred by countless shots of different plasma weaponry Aaron could no longer identify. His sight was darkening by the time the team walked out, and he could only think in dismay of how they had failed at their only task.

**Author's Notes: And thus begins the fighting on Reach! This can be considered the inverse of the Alliance's big time homeworld retaking operations. With a fleet of three thousand and Maccabeus heading it, well, anything can happen. As for the details on the events of this chapter, well, there was hardly any fighting, mainly because it was not worth showing. However, with Kalmiya gone, Cortana has stepped up to fill her absence. John can't accept her, though. Consider Kalmiya's death similar to Cortana's in Halo 4. After that, Master Chief certainly wouldn't look to replace her with a new copy, which is kind of what he's going through right now in the story. Then there's Nara's own past traumas and demons coming back to haunt her, and John's unexpected and unlucky 'rescue' of her within her room. As for the Rachni Queen, well, a minute of silence for her loss, if you would. Overall, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I would like to ask you guys to please review. I know the fight on Reach should be a hell of an incentive to, now that we're getting to the game stories.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Notes: Sorry for the tardiness, worked on this chapter as long as I could, but hey, I would say that 10.5K words make up for it. This chapter I'm going for something a little different, which is several events with different dates getting short depictions. Most are not too short, but they are all part of a greater event. This way, I can get through the games quickly without brushing over too many things and not spending 5 chapters per every game. Get ready for a Spartan filled chapter, ladies and gentlemen, 'cause that's what you're getting. Without further ado, enjoy!**

**The Battle of Reach**

**February 9****th****, 2542:** Reach has been discovered by the Covenant. Chieftain General Maccabeus has led his three thousand ships in his campaign against the planet. The defending fleet has been almost completely obliterated, and of the hundreds of ODPs originally built and assigned to protect the planet, less than fifty remain intact. A five hundred of Maccabeus's ships were lost to the planetary defenses, and two hundred more to the immediate Separatist reinforcements within the nearby vicinity.

He still reigns champion from the fights with his fleet of twenty-three hundred strong and able to fight. The entire Spartan branch has been mobilized to the most strategic places so evacuations can be successful. SA Chieftain Lieutenant Taurus has been the planet's 'secret' lance, managing to disrupt many of his uncle's operations. The UNSC Constantinople was boarded by an infiltrated team of Covenant specialists. Reports state that the Rachni Queen is dead. The Battle of Reach has begun.

**06:00 – February 12****th****, 2542 – The Unyielding Hierophant**

"How is she?" He questioned, steel in his eyes as he always prepared himself for the worst case scenario for every situation of uncertainty. The woman looked up from her data pad and steadily answered, "Shaken and afraid, Sir, but otherwise fine. Physical reports show that she has not had any recent injuries or other sorts of damages."

"Good." _Perhaps the only good thing that will come out of today._ He mulled over everything that had happened, and everything they'd need to prepare themselves for considering the new information that had come to light. Not even the loss of Reach wrought as much fear in him as did his findings, bringing an icy cascade down his spine whenever he thought of it. He'd already called Fleet Admiral H. T. Ward to warn him about the revelation, and already they were starting to build far more ODPs and ships for the home fleet.

The private meeting he'd called for that morning came with the UNSC_ Rome's_ arrival only a little over four hours before. He'd gotten a message from his secret 'friend' again, as part of the deal that he didn't expose him. He had made a suggestion, a simple suggestion when word got out that Reach was being invaded. When he passed it to Halsey, she agreed and even complimented his quick thinking. The results had been as his secret ally had warned, and one that could very well bring the fall of the entire Alliance if used right.

He had entered the place, finding a hologram of Tartarus to be there while he remained guarding Dossiac. The others had made it. Only the Minor Prophet of Malevolence could not be there due to his age and illness as well as Taurus, who was leading his ship in the defense of Reach. "I've called every one of you here to discuss a matter of upmost importance. One that could very well mean the end of this war, and not for the better."

"What is it that you have found that has you so disturbed?" Faith's question was voiced in a soothing tone, and though he appreciated the motive, he turned to her and everyone else with a hard glance. "Things have never gone as planned when it has come to decisive missions and victories, but we have always done so with the necessary preparations in thinking that the Covenant will have the upper hand. For that reason, we have won as much as we have, but a recent call I made has finally shown why the Covenant has always been prepared for our forces."

"And what is it that the blasted _Covenant_ have which has reaped so many lives of our own warriors, Admiral Hood?" It was the Supreme Commander's question that brought the Admiral to finally speak his mind. "When I contacted Halsey, I saw to it that the Rachni Queen be safe. And so, she has been returned to us through the UNSC ship _Rome_. However, I requested that one of her Brood Warriors be placed on the _Constantinople_ and made to pass as the Queen. To this day, even our own troops believe her dead. Only a select few know that she lives."

"That makes no sense! How would they– wait, no, _hells be damned._ That would mean…" The hologram through which Tartarus was shown varied in hues of white and light colors, but even through it, Hood could see that he paled. All others in the room that deciphered the meaning behind his words grew weary and heavily anxious as well. _At least I am not alone in this. _"We have a mole amongst our higher ups."

"This is… _disturbing_, to say the least. We've not had a recent promotion to the direct Leadership in years since we've started this war. Whoever informed the Covenant of the location where the supposed Rachni Queen was hidden has been with us since the very beginning." Supreme Commander 'Vadam's words weighed heavy in the Admiral's stomach. It was one thing to reach that conclusion on thought alone, but several minds thinking alike solidified it all the more. Faith, weary as she was nowadays, finished, "Therein lies our poison."

"Precisely. I've had several of my most trusted men keep an eye out for any officers that may have a form of affiliation with the Insurrection, and now I have to ask you all to do the same. No matter how close they seem to you, no matter how innocent they may look, do not hesitate to search for any evidence that may show that your subordinates keeping contact with the Covenant."

**07:00 – February 11****th****, 2542 – CASTLE Base War Room**

"Kat, you shouldn't be doing this." Carter's voice was steady, but any other Spartan could have known that he was just as intrigued as she was. It was the only time they would get before they were all truly separated throughout the world where they were needed the most. It didn't help that every other Spartan III was there, eager for her to finish her discovery. Only very few were against her notion. "Relax, Carter, I'm just looking for the reason behind our Supreme Commander's outburst. We need to know if he's reliable or if he will barge in on every other woman taking a shower. Those last few words before he left the dining hall really weren't as encouraging as one would expect them to be."

"Kat, you're my friend, but I've already said that it's fine and no harm was done. _Leave it alone._" When the raven haired soldier turned back to her dirty blond haired counterpart, she simply laughed and kept her smile filled with mischief. "You need to stop worrying, Nara. Anything that is shown in this room, stays in this room. I'm not planning on exposing your brand new partner out to the whole Alliance."

"Ever heard of the saying curiosity killed the cat? You should listen to it more often. Might get you into real trouble one of these days." June's nonchalant demeanor never changed, but his words did have meaning to them. Nara nodded in agreement, and Carter crossed his arms. The rest watched. Even Emile seemed interested. Kat shook her head and rolled her eyes, before turning back to the monitor and yelping at her own success. "There we go, records accessed. Well, let's see what the Supreme Commander is made of, to be what he is now."

And no one stopped her when the screen showed up in the hologram on the wall, all too enveloped in their curiosity to care about what was right or wrong. And so, the full report was shown. They went over his training quickly, stopping a bit to look at his records against the four ODST. At first they thought that was it, and then Kat came across the black files. "Now what do we have here?"

When she opened it, the full bio was shown. Kat took it upon herself to read out loud, with the kind of tone used for the morning news. "The candidate John-117 has not shown signs of trauma in spite of the events from a year prior to his induction to the program. It is believed, but not proven, that he has unknowingly repressed all memories concerning the matter as a psychological self-defense mechanism. However, an event similar to the like may trigger the forgotten recollections, which may result in anything from fear induced paralysis to a full mental break down. It is for this reason that tabs will be kept on the candidate, as witnessing his mother's gang rape and suffering from brief molestation during the scene may stir him into…"

Kat had stopped reading then, no longer feeling the desire of knowing the truth behind it all. She felt her stomach drop, as did everyone else that had read as much. Almost fearing it, Kat selected an archive that came linked to it. When she opened it, she found that it was the mission on Eayn, only 'complete', like the Supreme Commander's bio. She found a video feed pertaining to said Spartan's helmet, with only a specified number of minutes on it as opposed to the hours the operation had lasted. She took a second to look behind her, now all three hundred filling the auditorium tuning in with morbid curiosity. With a shaky finger, she clicked open.

It was the whole of the makeshift Spartan Team after they had reached the top of _Xolobhar Yrnt_. They then killed a series of Elite and Brute guards standing outside a door, the Elites showing even more noticeable disgust at the Brutes than usual. And then they barged in. All three hundred Spartans within the room looked in disgust at the Brute violating the poor victim at his hold. And then everything sank into a further hell. The Supreme Commander crushed the Carbine that the Spartan to his right wielded and shoved her back to crash into the group.

By then, the Brute tossed the woman and killed her with his strength. Then the wrathful warrior gripped his cock and castrated the monster with his strength. Everyone was surprised by that, a sentiment that only grew when he tore out his tongue as well. And when he hit the Brute with all his strength. And again. And again. And again, when he crushed the beast's skull with the third punch. But he kept punching the now empty ground. A pair of arms tried to stop him. [_John?! JOHN! You need to snap out of it! He's dead! He's–UGH._]

And they watched how with a single punch, the rabid Spartan sent Jorge to the end of the room, his back connecting with the wall with a heavy _thud_. It took the entire team to grab each of his limbs so they could pry him off the corpse without knocking any of them out. Then the feed ended. Silence filled the hall, none willing to disturb it. Nara looked at the screen with guilt, now understanding just where her partner was coming from. _You'd be surprised about what I know._ Shame soon transforming into anger, she glared and growled at Kat, "And now you've seen his secret. _Happy now?_"

And she stormed out of the place, deciding that the hangar bay was a better place to spend her time in. She'd rather wait for her team than have to hear them either apologize or explain what they had witnessed. She knew. And now she looked at her superior in a very different light. She'd bet that every III did too. She was early in her arrival and took the time to place on her helmet, but the IIs entered the place soon after. She noticed the Supreme Commander, who nodded respectfully at her while he walked with his former team. It was all she could do to keep her gaze and nod back.

When the IIIs entered, the second 'interesting scenario' of the day occurred. Emile took a much more casual approach towards the Supreme Commander, said Spartan turning to his junior. The hall had not been particularly noisy that morning, most Super Soldiers preferring working without making racket, but it went dead with silence when the older of the two started. "Is there something you need, Spartan-239?"

"Yeah, sir, just wanted to let you know that if I had been in your place, I'd have beat the shit out of that Brute too. I mean hell, the big bastard had it coming when–" Emile didn't even growl or yelp in pain when one of the largest of the IIs delivered a jab straight at his visor. The titanic one, with the perfect white '034' on his breastplate, grabbed him by the chest piece and lifted him up to his height. "You think that was funny? Just talking about a terrible day like it was a day in the park? Which reminds me, how did you know about it in–"

"Sam! Stand down!" At the Supreme Commander's bark, the giant immediately dropped Emile and apologized to his friend. Nara guessed she was one of his closest due to how much she saw them together during their downtime. The Leader of the Spartans stood before the downed form of the III, Emile now understanding what had happened and far more active. The two met each other's gaze through the reflection of their visors, almost everyone half expecting the younger to apologize. Instead, much to everyone's surprise, the Supreme Commander held out his hand. Emile was quickly to take it, lifted in a short moment, but the other did not let go of the grasp.

"Spartan-239, I'm going to ask this once, only once and I expect an answer. I won't ask specifics, but you will tell me the truth, and I know how to tell apart a fact from a lie. Does every Spartan III know about the event you mentioned?" The only sound heard was that of early Pelicans thrusting out of the base to transport the first troops to report. Emile had the decency to look at those of his platoon, not wanting to rat them out in such a way. He had already put his foot in his mouth once and that had cost a rather heavy price, he did not want to make the same mistake again. Only when Carter nodded did Emile repeat the motion. The other sighed, and then looked at every soldier within the bay.

"If you've managed to see those files, then you probably know why I've reacted that way, too. I killed the Jiralhanae easily, I brought him pain and fear in the last seconds of his life. Because of that, the mission could have failed. Because I placed my own revenge before everything else, I nearly failed my team, my Spartans and the Alliance. That was the price I paid for doing what I wanted _exactly_ how I wanted. I say this because I know many of you conscripted yourselves into the Spartan Program because you wanted to find a way to kill every Covenant soldier you came across. If you want to be soldiers, _Spartans_ truly dedicated not just to the war, but to Humanity and its allies, then you need to let go of your need to have vengeance. Do otherwise, and you might see the results of your 'victory' in the death of your comrades."

And with that, he left the group, his team and every other II saluting him and returning to their station, motioning for their teams of IIIs to leave with them. He signaled to Nara and she complied, stepping into the Falcon's turret when he got in the pilot seat. The war had come to Reach, and it was time for them to show their full strength.

**08:32 – February 27****th****, 2542 – SWORD Base Outskirts**

"You done there, Kat? It'd be nice to order some heavy fire on these bastards already!" Rosenda's shout cut through the battle ensuing outside the damaged building. Occasionally it was the work of the Wraiths that led them to hear the same white noise for a few seconds at a time. Mostly, it was Jorge's great beast of a minigun that roared through the structure. His screams only fueled the intensity of the situation. But to Kat, it was a harmonic tune to her ears. The shots, the shouts, the soul of the battlefield. She doubted that there was anything that could exhilarate her more. It even made her work more proficiently. "Done! COM Array is back online!"

"Then we're packing it and hightailing, Noble! We head back to SWORD Base effective immediately before any of the Corvettes rain hell on it!" And so they did. Hopping to the driver seat of one of the Warthogs, she accelerated quick as she could, Rosenda at her side while Jorge and his minigun took up the turretless back. Carter, Jun and Emile took the other Warthog, taking the driver, passenger and gunner seats respectively. They sped past the remaining Wraith that had not been destroyed by then, but Emile turned his Gauss Turret around to get a straight shot at the metallic beast's core. Five seconds passed and the Covenant tank became an azure bonfire.

"_Did you learn nothing from the Supreme Commander's words, Emile? Or did his friend's 'little' punch give you a concussion?_" Jun's lazy drawl ironically brought his much more heated counterpart to chuckle. "_I heard him alright, even after his friend fucking knocked me down. I took that shot to ensure the bastard won't cause any more trouble to marines around the area. And who says I can't have a little fun while doing the right thing?_"

"Sometimes, I really do wonder who's the bigger sadist. You, with all your knives, explosives and almost creative ways for killing Covies, or Kat and her 'mad scientist' aura." Rosenda's snort through the comms brought most of the team to laugh, and while none could see it, Kat was sure that Carter was smiling under his helmet. Kat herself smirked in amusement. "You're one to talk, Rose. Any time I get one of my 'crazy ideas', you're the first one to jump aboard them."

"Hey, I'm just calling you out for the sadists you are. I'm not saying there's anything particularly wrong with that." The Spartans enjoyed the moment while they could, soon enough finding themselves within the base's outer gate. Unable to go in while in their mode of transportation, the team took to a sprint, blasting their way through the forces outside until they found a way to get inside. A team of Zealots and two Hunters later and the basement was cleared.

An elevator ride later and they were shooting their way through several metallic corridors filled to the brim with more of the Chieftain General's troops. Through hell and hell they fought, moving up a single floor at a time until Emile and Jorge ran to the top to deal with aerial resistance. Kat was already on her way down, having been called on by a certain someone who would not take a 'no' for an answer. As much as she hated to admit it, she would be lying if she said she wasn't the slightest bit afraid. She could only steel herself when she found the famous, and for some, _notorious_ Doctor Halsey lazily analyzing a file on her tablet.

"Ma'am, you wanted to see me?" At least her tone did not betray her, and to continue the motion, she took off her helmet and looked her straight in the eyes as a form of defiance. That did not even scratch the surface of the ice that her eyes wielded. "The data module?"

Through a box that was the only link both halves of the room had with its great transparent wall separating it, Kat deposited the chip. Halsey took it and focused her attention on it. If she had been braver, perhaps the Spartan would have left her then and there, excusing that as the reason she was sent there. A part of her knew otherwise. A part of her _feared_ otherwise. Silence plagued the room until the doctor started, "There was a reported hack in some of CASTLE Base's most heavily encrypted files. With the Covenant here to try and destroy Reach, it would truly surprise me if they did not try to get information along the way, but this form of espionage, if you will, occurred only _three_ days after Maccabeus arrived. What are the odds?"

Kat sweat dropped and said nothing. "The strange thing is, even after gaining info on that coded data, he only searched _one_ of the reports belonging to the entire dossier. A report that, while it may have some form of utility if used correctly, has too little to be of true significance. Don't you find it even stranger that these documents were opened in CASTLE Base's own auditorium? The implications of such stealth technology would assume that not just of invisibility, but speedy and precise teleportation, not to mention all the camouflages necessary to hide body heat, armor readings…"

Then Halsey bore her calm, soul-burning glare to the Spartan a full head and a half taller than her. "But we both know that this wasn't Maccabeus's doing, don't we? Tell me, Spartan-320, for what purpose did you even _read_ at his bio? I can only assume that at your incentive, all others of your platoon grew interested like moths to flames, but you? Why did you do it? Do you even take your work here, his work here seriously?"

"I do, ma'am. When news came that he intruded in Spartan-312's bunk–"

"You did take it seriously? Strange. Oh, do I wonder who it was that said, '_we need to know if he's reliable or if he will barge in on every other woman taking a shower_'. Even stranger was that the Spartan involved in that particular situation passed it off herself, when she _may_ have been one of the few to earn the right as to her bunk's sudden intrusion, denied it. If I am correct, she even told you that herself while you were prying into the Supreme Commander's bio. So answer me, _Kat_, why should I not send you to the brig?"

Kat paled at the woman using her name more than she did at her threat. It was personal, that much she knew. "Ma'am, the WINTER CONTINGENCY prohibits civilian intervention when Spartans are fighting to–"

"I am very much aware of the contingency _my work_ has created, Spartan. And do I look like a regular civilian to you? Your team leader is only a few dozen meters away from here, as well as the rest of your squadron, so I will make this clear here and now. If you ever try to dig up information to incriminate, or worse, _humiliate _my Spartans, I'll personally see you to your cell once the war is over."

**09:13 – March 12****th****, 2542 – Szurdok Ridge, Base of Ütközet Mountain**

A faint white noise grew louder in Nara's ears when she got up. Soon after it was gone, and she aimed her Grenade Launcher at some of the groundside FRG Shades quickly installed by the Covenant. Two good shots and it was a mess of molten metal, while on her right, her superior got a fair sniper's shot at one of the looming Banshee's thrusters. Setting it alight, the enemy aircraft spiraled and spun out of control, fortunately falling on an Ultra giving the two a hard time. It was strange seeing the Supreme Commander with a weapon of absolute precision in his hand, knowing him to be the kind to depend more on Assault and Battle Rifles. Then she shrugged. He was a jack of all trades, master of none. So was she, for that matter.

The past month had certainly been intense, having next to no time to rest. One mission straight after another, only a few hours of rest in between a few here and there. And yet, their sole purpose had been the one they had been fulfilling at Reach. Fighting against immeasurable odds successfully, being a pillar of hope, ensuring civilian lives would make it out of the planet in hasty evacuations, and overall standing strong against the Covenant. Doing so involved going on all terrains, taking part in all kinds of missions. Some of which included sniper work.

Holstering her Grenade Launcher, she took the weapon her and her superior had in common, sticking behind large stones to avoid the endless hail of bullets and explosives heading their way. More than a few Unggoy screamed when they recognized them. They weren't just any Archdemons, they were the pinnacle of the 'bastard warriors'. Even amongst the Spartans, they stood out. Fear led to easier work done, something they remembered when they thought of the Brutes she tore limb to limb apart, and that was without counting John's own bout.

A small platoon and another groundside turret returned to the dirt later, and a Pelican dropped off a Warthog for them to use. John hopped on the driver seat, and Nara stuck to the rocket turrets. She would never admit it, lest she seek relentless jokes from her previous team, but she enjoyed that variant of the vehicle the most. A large barrage of homing missiles settled plenty of situations effectively and quickly. Her team, however, would likely take her for a maverick. John wasn't like that. She said a suggestion, he considered it. She requested a specific weapon or vehicle for optimal capacity, he made sure to get it. She spoke a few meaningful words regarding a mission or a topic, he took them to heart.

He was master of one trait, she realized. Leadership. The man was nothing of not trustworthy and dependable. That much she got when she had conversed briefly with his previous team. That much she confirmed with a full month of the pair working alongside one another. He outranked her several times over by many means, and yet, he still treated her like an equal. She realized that he may be the only Spartan she truly enjoyed working with. He had that effect on people.

She thought back on her old team, not feeling like she had betrayed them or abandoned them for a much more fitting teammate, but rather thinking back to their time together. In her place had stepped in one of the biggest of the IIs, an act that somewhat flattered her. It may have been randomized or simply put that he was the best choice for the team, but one way or another, it took the great living, breathing killing machine to replace her. She would admittedly miss Noble and its members, but she liked the way things were being handled now. She was in a small, extraordinarily efficient team, and she got to keep in contact with Noble as friends without feeling like they were dragging on.

Nara only regretted not having been aboard Jun and Rosenda's most recent mission, the one that led her and John to the Ridge that day. A recon operation with nearly two hundred bullets to their Sniper Rifles and more ammo along the way sounded like a haven to her. She didn't have too many occasions to use them, so she requested them to use on this mission, considering a large amount of the enemy would undoubtedly have higher ground. And he took the liberty of getting one himself at her advice.

Returning from her thoughts and back to the battlefield she had absentmindedly burned along with the invasive troops within range. At a signal, she was out of the vehicle, crossing a bridge and exterminating the Covies in their path. When her launcher clicked dry, she was quick to drop it and pick up a Needle Rifle in its stead. It functioned both as a rifle and an explosive with enough shots, making it a good weapon considering all the units left ahead to face. John's Assault Rifle lasted longer, though he took a Carbine once he was out as well.

Climbing up on the building, killing a Zealot through precise marksmanship and eliminating the underlings occupying the zone, they dropped below on the other side. Much to their luck, another factor Nara noticed the Supreme Commander had, there laid pair of Revenants waiting to be commandeered. A hop and a foot down the pedals and they were off. Pink and azure mortars cleared the way from T'vaoans trying to shoot them strategically from higher vantage points.

"We're coming up on the second AA Gun. Keep distance and aim for the gun itself. Enough fire power and it will be destroyed from here. Anything comes close, we terminate quickly and return to damaging the structure." And they did. The only resistance that went all the way to them was a single Wraith that fell against its two masterfully driven enemies. All that was left was to kill the stragglers, aided by a Pelican with a few marine squads to help hold the area. Nara enjoyed ramming the Hunter before dismounting it and heading towards the newly arrived Falcon, following her elder's step.

Nara watched the man considered the 'King of Spartans' tap the window protecting the pilot, the man getting out and heading towards the Pelican for pick up. The two most notorious warriors to the Covenant Hegemony locked visors and nodded. The Falcon flew, and Nara rained explosives with the improved vehicle's Grenade Launcher Turret. She lost count after fifty kills, vehicles included, simply striving to optimize the effectiveness of her shots. She knew John couldn't stay still for too long without getting shot down, so he flew forwards and only forwards as slow as he could afford. That was more than enough time for Nara.

"_We're coming up on the Spire, be ready. There's a ninety percent chance that the shields will function as an EMP. I'll be keeping the Falcon at fifteen meters above surface level. Prepare for the worst._" Even with the warning, she internally cursed when a bluish hue surrounded the aircraft leading to the improvised landing her personal mentor had planned out. Landing on a particularly large stone, the two hopped from great rock to great rock, easily killing all those below them with their rifles. Once again, they withdrew the longest ranged weapons back into their hands when they were met with the sight of the great mauve pillar.

In a quick succession, they killed several Sangheili thruster pack specialists, ridding themselves of potential future threats. Watching the array of Covie tanks and war machines assemble before them, Nara was quick to give the Commander a look. "Sir, killing them will take too long and be too risky. I suggest we sprint around them, head up and disable the shields before they get a chance to exit and attack us."

"Understood." Simple as that, the two jumped, cobalt explosives blackening the ground they had been on. Even with the fastest Ghosts on their tails, they managed to get inside and stand before the blue antigravity lift. John put his am in front of her, stopping her path when she was about to enter. Without saying another word, he took all his grenades from their holsters, activated them and threw them in. She imitated, both waiting a few seconds before letting themselves get shot upwards.

The grenades had done solid damage, or so the corpses littered on the floor showed. Leaving the inner circle of the highest level to take a right, both worked to shoot all the Unggoy Ultras on the head, waiting for the Field Marshall to get angered and unleash his Energy Sword. Having counted on the leader's short temper, both riddled his body with their snipers' final bullets. John jogged up and deactivated the shields, Nara killed the remaining T'vaoans aboard. John waited outside for a Pelican to return for them, Nara walking to his side. He looked at the landscape and remained silent. Halsey had a temporary need of Cortana, so he had not had contact with either for a week.

If time with the Supreme Commander had taught her about his different forms of silences, even with his polarized visor always on, then he was in contemplative thought. The kind that came with mistrust or suspicion. She asked, "What do you see, Commander?"

"The mission was too easy. The kind of resistance that should have been posed for an easy gateway onto Reach's ground should have been far more heavily fortified, especially considering the General's strength… he _wanted_ the Spire to be destroyed." The thought went through his head, and then he snapped. Looking at the Pelican opening its hatch a few meters away, he shouted, "_Run!_"

They jumped, Nara almost sliding off, but being caught by John's hand, quickly pulling her up and into the flight carriage. His footsteps thundering through, he shouted commands to the pilot. The man nodded rapidly, putting full speed to the Pelican. Shortly after the _UNSC Grafton_ closed the distance to the destroy the structure, a colossal beam incinerated both, as well as the acres it had stood on. The column thickened, and the intensity and heat increased.

"_Get us out of here, now!_" And Nara could only watch as the General's own _Hammer of Reprisal_ glassed the grounds they had worked and fought for so hard to earn back. The fact that he had been willing to sacrifice so many troops to have the two killed did not surprise her, but the ingenuity with which he almost completed his task wrought fear in her.

**17:39 – March 24****th****, 2542 – New Alexandria Outskirts, Nexus, Reach**

"Ah, _shit._" Emile could not see straight when he first woke up. He hadn't expected to wake up in the first place. Coughing roughly, he looked upon the body of a great Supercarrier before him, incomplete and covered in flames. He smiled at that. Operation UPPER CUT had been successful with him and the big man protecting the slip-space drive at the Corvette en route to the Supercarrier that had been at glassing distance. Unfortunately, the General's unexpected drop-by was short live, but in the place of his humongous carriage had entered another of the great spaceward beasts. The remaining ODPs could not bombard it without the possibility of completely destroying a series of cities. Kat had a plan, and Emile was a hell of a pilot. The mission ensued.

"_Big man._ BIG MAN! Are you there?!" His roars were responded by a series of coughs through the comms. Though he would be rotting in the ground before he ever admitted it, he was greatly relieved to know that the II had survived. Then again, considering who he was, it didn't truly surprise him. "_Yeah, I'm here. I'm a few clicks east to the crash landing. I can still see a good damn lot of ships surrounding New Alexandria. They need our help, most likely. I'll meet you there. Once we arrive, we'll establish a link back to Carter, let him know we made it through._"

"Alright, big man, good hunting." With that, he took his fingers off where his right ear should have been had his helmet not hidden it. Shaking his head slightly, he started to jog in spite of the limp from his left leg's sustained injury. The landing hadn't been so easy on him, but he had had a hell of a time fighting and hijacking a Covenant vessel, a story very much worth telling.

**23:41 – March 24****th****, 2542 – New Alexandria, Nexus, Reach**

Jun furrowed his brows. Flight was definitely not his strong suit, nor the type of mission he was partaking in at the moment. Fire spread from one wing to another, and a brief, crazy idea came to his mind. He supposed hanging around with Kat long enough had given him a taste of insanity, something he had somewhat learned to like. Going at full speed and making the best of the short time remaining on the Falcon, he opened the hatch midair and jumped. Timing it perfectly, he fell upon a Banshee, grabbing the unknowing Elite's leg and throwing him off before taking it for himself. With faster wings and a fresh new, undamaged craft, he smiled to himself and continued towards his objective.

Raining plasma on a skyscraper's top, he destroyed the Shades with his own vibrant green blasts. The troops were dead and the stationary weapons destroyed, allowing him to land his violet aircraft nearby the front doors. Readying his sniper, he prepared himself for the only four things that could have such a large reading on his radar. Entering quietly, he looked across from him, finding another signal jammer that had been used to cut communications. Effectively enough, four Mgalekgolo were guarding the cylindrical machine.

Looking through the scope of his long-barreled weapon, he saw one of the Hunters looking his way. It had not spotted him, thankfully, but probably waited for forces to try and disable the jammer. Ensuring his aim targeted the small area between its helmeted cap and the rest of its metallic, hulky armor, he found the small bit of its head that was visible. Taking a look at the shining, emerald prosthetics it had for eyes, he took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The titan fell, and all hell let loose.

He ran past two that had hopped down to the lower level, and barely just skidded around the rampant one that remained at the top. Shooting through to the machine's center with a single well-placed bullet, Jun took advantage of the small shockwave it let out. The stunned giant before him, lumbering with the minor EMP disabling many of its functions, collapsed when a knife plunged itself into its worm-filled back and slid upwards. Only against two, Jun rolled, barely just dodging a pair of green blasts, and grabbed a lone Rocket Launcher from one of the dead marines that had tried disabling the jammer before he came.

Two quick shots and one fell. The Spartan had to run while he reloaded, or the Hunter would have crushed him under the swipe of its gigantic arm. Another sideward swing and Jun rolled under it, finding the walking tank's back to be exposed. One good missile straight to its back and it rolled forwards, lifeless as the other three scattered about the floor. Tossing the ordinance-level weapon aside, he sprinted back upwards, finding himself within his personally hijacked Banshee again. He took to the air again, shooting any anti-air defenses the Covenant had placed there to avoid their troops to be killed. Unfortunately for them, they had forgotten that they had attacked the homeworld of the Spartans.

He landed on one more building which Kat had the courtesy of pinpointing, shooting the Jiralhanae that did their best at stopping his entry. He still blasted through them, getting into the elevator and slamming the button. The doors opened again, and he ran through another empty floor. He could see the scattered corpses, but not the killers. He scoffed internally. Jun found the final Signal Jammer, punched it with all his might, and booked it out. Not even the swarm of Yanme'e were enough to slow his pace. He did not even shoot one. He only tossed a few plasma grenades into the air, getting stuck to some limbs here and there. Many screeched when they and those around them lit up in flames, but Jun did not hear them, or rather, cared too little. He was done and he was returning to Noble.

"_-now? Can you hear me now, Jun?_" The team's scout and recon expert smiled behind his helmet. "Loud and clear, sir. Signal Jammers are offline."

"_Music to my ears, Noble Three. Come back to us. Jorge and Emile made it back alive, they helped with the evacuation before any more lives could be lost._" Jun chuckled. He wondered when the two were going to get back to them. "No surprise there, sir. Spartans never die. And about damned time they got back to it, too. Emile would have had fun doing this mission."

"_No point in crying over spoiled milk, Noble Three. Don't bother landing. We're on two Falcons and heading over to CASTLE Base. Apparently it's a priority assignment directly from HIGHCOM. We couldn't get specifics, not with the city invaded like this, but Kat picked up from here and there that it's going to be big. I get the feeling that with the Covenant's advances, we may need to blow the place. Turn your Falcon around now, Jun, we'll meet up midflight._"

At those words, Jun chuckled mildly, "Right, sir, about that Falcon…"

**03:25 – March 25****th****, 2542 – CASTLE Base Derelict Forerunner Research Facility**

Carter wondered what it would have been like to fight on endlessly the way he had during the past month without the augmentations or the armor. He wondered what it would had been like to be stuck in a losing scenario with no way of winning without all the training since early youth and all the years fighting in the war, which even then, hadn't been too many compared to the work the IIs had done. He wondered what it would had been like to die on the battlefield without knowing the ending outcomes. Then his mind snapped back to the field.

"Suppressing fire, Noble! Do not let the Covenant through!" And they held the line while they could. Jorge's hail of bullets destroyed one Ghost within seconds, Emile's rockets the Wraith beside it. But the more they killed, the more they terminated, the more that came to take their place. The leader of Noble Team had, in fact, calculated that for every Covie killed, five more took its place. They were losing ground, even with the defenses manned and the place fortified. "Keep at it, Noble! The Covenant haven't glassed Reach yet for one reason and one reason only, and that's because of what's inside the structure! Nothing gets past the doors to Halsey! We give our lives if it comes to it!"

And then he heard the laughter through the comms, not sinister, but eased, relaxed. "_For your rank, Commander, I would have thought you'd know the simple truth to this now. Even against unwinnable odds, Spartans never die. At worst, they're just missing in action._"

And then came a Pelican, dropping off another fireteam of the armored giants. Then another, and another, and another, and so many more that Carter lost track. Before long, every pillar-like glacier had a Spartan sniper at its top, the most prominent one being a II with the '_058_' on her upper left breastplate. Towards where the base ended and the snow started, many more came with Machine Guns and Rocket Launchers, pushing the invading forces with ease. Several other individuals with proficiency at piloting and driving any and all sorts of vehicles let their jet packs lead them to Banshees, hijacking them all and keeping a watchful eye over all prowlers within the vicinity.

Soon, the surrounding acre of snow covering the Base's inner reach was littered with alien bodies, all dead or dying. Carter had never felt as relieved as he did at that moment. Then came three Liches towards their position. In a flash of understanding, all the Spartans concentrated their power on one, the infinite rain of bullets taking it down within thirty seconds. The other two had been more careful to not make their predecessor's mistake. One drifted back, giving its twin protective fire, enough to keep the Spartans at bay. Carter sweat dropped when he heard the familiar _thumps_ of a Scarab's footsteps from the other side of the glacier hill across the base.

The Lich that had gotten close enough to drop a platoon dropped two hulking masses instead. Carter would count this as one of the few moments in his life when he genuinely cursed. He whipped his DMR up and shot at the two, finding them to cover themselves without using some sort of psychokinesis to stop the bullets. He was silently grateful that the Raiders where not Biotics. From their cover, they prepared, being pinned down by three vehicles considered super units and two of the most powerful warriors the Hegemony had produced. Then the Scarab reared its head out, its body following soon after. A voice whispered through the comms, maintaining serenity in spite of the situation. "_Alright, Spartans, they may have bigger units than ours and a pair of Raiders, but we have the greater numbers and we know this ground better than we do. It's going to be tough, but if we–_"

Then the Scarab fired. Only instead of hitting the base or any potential hiding spots for the Super Soldiers, it bathed the Lich drifting back with its titanic green beam. Without waiting to cool off, the rogue Scarab directed its deadly weapon towards the other. The head itself shot its mortars at the two shocked and confused Raiders, effectively crippling one while the other managed to run away. Both great heaps of molten metal laid on the ground, a few Spartans finished the job of killing the downed Raider. The living one, enraged by the death of its battalion and its comrade, took a great leap from an icy pillar towards the ground walker. The Scarab, however, had expected as much, and its mouth spat the green plasma once more, disintegrating the once feared unit.

Everything stayed still for a moment, all the Spartans watching the unmanned Scarab with curiosity, until it started moving forwards. Not one of them shot it, rather observing it in case of a friendly within, considering that the average Covie vehicle wouldn't shoot _Covie_ aerial transports. It reached the entrance, the Spartans cautiously assembling at the front. Carter got a direct look from the maw before it and the head powered down, bending its 'knees' and setting its belly on the frozen ground. A hatch opened at the middle and another head. Respectively, out exited the Supreme Commander and the former member of Noble Team.

At the sight of them, all Spartans came out of the shadows. The numbers shocked Carter. He knew heavy reinforcements had come, but he did not think all the IIs or IIIs would be there. All saluted the figure with the Mjolnir Mark VI, painted olive save for his right golden shoulder pad. The man nodded, prompting the platoon to ease up ever so slightly. He raised two fingers to his ear. "Doctor Halsey, is it done."

"_Thanks to your impromptu arrival, yes, it is. Come inside, all of you. It won't be long before this place collapses on itself. I suppose we've gotten lucky that none of the fire from the airships outside have made the ice fall atop all this._" Her tone was strict as always, and yet, Carter could not help but notice how much less cold it was now. "We make our own luck, ma'am. Open the gates, we're coming in."

The metal that had taken a good beating from before the arrival of any of the Super Soldiers groaned as it gave entry to those that had defended it. The Supreme Commander looked back at them. "With me."

And so they walked. Every item they found within was more advanced than the last, all the way until reaching a particularly large walkway, enough for the Spartans to fit comfortably. At the end of the bridge, there was a large holographic sphere, and at its core, the violet silhouette of a female AI. The very edge held a variety of intricate consoles, and a ten-meter-wide flight of stairs downwards into a lower level. Working the consoles was the famed doctor, softly and strictly speaking to her AI counterpart. The Supreme Commander headed the march, Nara at his side, while he motioned for two other of his own platoon with the insignias '034' and '087' to head up with him along with their own teams. They complied.

"Nicely done, Spartans. You've helped hold the Covenant long enough for her to finish her work here. I daresay you even have time to kill." Halsey was not known to congratulate easily. Much as he was wary of the woman, he felt a smidgen of pride swell at her words. The Supreme Commander responded, "We did what needed to be done, ma'am, no less."

"Ma'am, what is this place?" Carter noted that Sam-034's tone was far more calm and even kindly when his apparent close friend John-117 was not being humiliated. Halsey looked at his visor and then the great, hollow cave, a shadow of a smile on her face. "This, Samuel, is an old databank. A _very old_ databank. It is neither Human nor Covenant of origin, and enough study has led us to discover that this was, in fact, one of the Forerunners' databases. A small one at that, but colossal and advanced beyond decades, even _centuries_ by our kinds' standards. We could not find a way to decrypt it…"

Her eyes then fell on Carter, making him stiffen his posture and straighten his spine. "…_Until_ the professor made his latchkey breakthrough, which Noble Team was fast enough to recover. It's not even knowledge that lies within here, but rather a _translator_. A key to understand countless other discoveries made by the ancient race without being hindered by language barriers, technologic incompatibility, or any other kind of obstacle that would have existed beforethis place was discovered. Mendicant Bias _has_ aided us, to be sure, but his knowledge is only available when it comes to his assigned structure, which he has had erased, reasons unknown. _This_, Spartans, is what your work has amounted to. _Here_ lies the key to the end of the war."

The holosphere increased in size and then decreased, disappearing into the AI's chest. She then looked upon them, each and every one. Her eyes then laid on the Supreme Commander and she smiled before blinking out of existence. The doctor took out a very small chip, a violet and azure hue at its inner ring. She walked slowly before the titan of olive. "She chose you, John."

He looked at it for a few seconds, then at her. "Ma'am, are you sure that this is the way."

"This is the way." This time she spoke loudly, with will and conviction for all to hear. Without waiting another second, he grabbed it and placed it at the back of his head. "Then we'll do everything we can to protect her and ensure that this knowledge does not fall into enemy hands."

He then unholstered his Assault Rifle and looked at the grand legion. "Spartans… our work on Reach is done. Maccabeus had divided his fleet the moment he won against our forces here. Seventeen hundred ships to fend off against our own reinforcements, none which managed to break through, and the rest to raid and break Reach. He could have glassed it since the first day, but this is what he wanted. We managed to complete all the evacuations we could, and most civilians made it to UNSC Ships that managed to jump back to Earth, where they'll be safer. The rest are dead. All we could have done, we have done. There are two ships left inside of this structure, which will be manned by you.

"I'm ordering you to leave Reach and head to the _Unyielding Hierophant_ to report to HIGHCOM. The Base is too well hidden through its constant movement to be found, and Doctor Halsey will locate it for you all to get some rest and receive your next missions. I… I didn't want it to come to this, but the truth is that we have lost Reach. The minute Maccabeus finds out that we've taken the worth he found here, he _will_ glass it, make no mistake. But while Reach may be lost, Earth still stands, and as hard as this loss is on us, we're still on the winning side of this war, which is why we will fight now more than ever. Sam, Kelly, you and your squads will accompany Halsey on the smaller of the ships and provide her escort–"

"Pardon, Supreme Commander, but I _do not_ need–" But the Supreme Commander would not stand her pride as he stood firmly, but entirely respectfully, before her. "Ma'am, we've been the reason many of the homeworlds have been taken back and countless operations have been deemed successful. The only reason we stand here is because of your endless work on the Spartan Program. That is just one of the many projects that have favored us in the war in which you've achieved success at, including the very work you've done here. You are perhaps one of the most important assets the entire Alliance has to offer, one I would personally deem irreplaceable. Ten Spartans is what I would consider to be the _minimal_ amount of escorts you should have at times like these."

The doctor sighed, letting herself lose against one of the very few people which she respected enough to get the final word. "Very well then."

"Sir, what about CASTLE Base?" The IIIs stayed silent at Jorge's distressed question, and the IIs the same, though much more tensely. Ackerson had made them hate SWORD Base with his constant 'training regimen' and his sour attitude, though they had enjoyed the results of the program. Then again, they received the augmentations and the armor aboard the _Unyielding Hierophant_, so not much love went to the place where they had been raised. The IIs, however, were known to be attached to the base where they had been trained. Leaving Reach meant leaving CASTLE Base to the enemy's hands, and to the Chieftain General, no less. The Supreme Commander held out and opened his hand, and on it formed the AI.

"Cortana, the Forerunner structure, is it…" The AI nodded, her intuition perfectly understanding what the Spartan could not bring himself to say. "It is, Commander. I'm sorry it's come to this, but there's no other way."

"She's right, John. As much as I hate to admit it, we cannot defend CASTLE Base any longer without losing our lives, something we _cannot_ afford this late in the war." No one spoke, no surrounding item dared break the peace in the hall, not even the Covenant forces above, waiting for them, managed to break the silence. The Supreme Commander nodded very slowly, taking a deep breath. "Cortana… rig the structure. We cannot let the Covenant get the best of CASTLE Base. When the war is done… we _will_ come back and we _will_ rebuild. Until then, our efforts must be focused on the battlefield."

The IIs gave a solemn nod, morose about their march, jogging to the flight of stairs below, but not before saluting both the Commander and the doctor. Carter waited a bit before leaving with the rest of the IIIs, looking at the remaining two teams and Nara herself. "Sir, you've given us directives as to where we need to go, but what about you? How will you leave the planet?"

He shared a look with Nara, both nodded and the latter responded, "We'll be heading off-planet through the Pillar of Autumn. Captain Keyes waits for us there. The reason we took so long to come here was to send a mass of unused 'ghost ships' to fly out the atmosphere and try to escape. We knew the General would know they were decoys, so we sent a second wave of 'ghost ships' with advanced stealth systems so they can think they were the ones we were aboard on. They're being chased and captured as we speak, since we had the electronic schemes hacked to show false heat signatures so they'll think they're crowded. You are part of the third wave, and considering that Reach is now an abandoned planet, you'll be jumping within the atmosphere. That way, you'll leave without being caught or followed by the General. We'll do the same with the Captain."

"In a dead graveyard which was likely searched and fortified by the Covenant several times over? You'll have a hard time taking off, Spartan. Even by our standards, that's suicide." Carter's calm response betrayed his internal strife. Even if she was a former teammate, she had still been his friend and he did not want her to be the first casualty amongst the Spartans. She shrugged her shoulders. "We're Spartans, Carter, it's like the Commander said. We make our own luck. Besides, there's still an Onager Cannon intact inside of the shipyard capable of punching a hole through an Assault Carrier, if it comes to it. Any additional help we may need, we'll get from Chieftain Captain Taurus. He leaves with us."

Finding nothing else to say, he nodded, wishing her luck as he trotted down the stairs. Ten pairs of armored footsteps followed his own, as well as a much softer pair belonging to the nicknamed 'mother of the Spartans'. It was at moments like these that Carter knew that no other Spartan's drive, ambition and borderline insanity could match that of the pair left behind, those prepared to go on against a world on their own. If Halsey was the pinnacle of brains in the SA, then the Supreme Commander and the First Lieutenant were the pinnacle of jack-of-all-trades.

**15:34 – March 25****th****, 2542 – Sinoviet Ship Breaking Facility, Aszod, Reach**

The shot rang, and the Phantom was completely blown away. Another, and the Lich fell as if it had never been active in the first place. Another Phantom was destroyed, and then a Spirit. Nara shot the ground troops that tried to stop him, effectively holding back a particular large amount of Zealots that tried to capture, not even kill, the acclaimed 'Damned Archdemons'. Apparently, they were to be stripped and tortured to the point where they would be broken before all of High Charity. Only when they 'begged for death' would they be beheaded and have their heads mounted on pikes and paraded throughout the Hegemony's capital. They had other plans in mind.

For a second he stopped, feeling a crude sense of déjà vu when out of slip-space came out a Supercarrier. He shot it three times, but he could see the belly charging. Alas, his luck turned when another rupture above the ship spat out Taurus's _Bloody Dagger_. The Separatist's glassing ray already charged, he rained the deathly flames onto the shields belonging to the thirty-kilometer-long vessel. Shields down, John placed a decisive shot at the belly of the beast, setting it aflame and on a crashing course several miles away. Skies cleared, a Pelican reared its head toward them.

"Come on, Spartans, get aboard! We have no time left!" The Captain's roar only motivated the two further to leave the deathtrap and board the craft. Closing the hatch as they hopped on board, the three grabbed on to the metal bars above them to stabilize themselves. Once the Pelican landed within the bay powered by the _Pillar of Autumn_'s engines, the Captain questioned, "Do you have it?"

"Yes, Captain. Whatever you do, this must not fall into enemy hands. Termination is prohibited as well. Cortana cannot be lost." With that, the Supreme Commander took the chip out of his helmet, giving it to the Captain. Then the two headed for the ship's cryo bay. As they did, the AI within thought, _Well, there goes my knight in shining armor. Hard as he is to get to, I admit will miss the caveman's company. _Even with her processing speed working every last nanosecond, she felt little time had passed when the Captain placed her on the Halcyon-class light cruiser. "Cortana, get us out of here!"

"Already working on it, sir!" She was juggling between managing the ship's flight and establishing comms with the Captain. Only when they reached outer space did she realize the entire fleet was chasing them. "Sir, we can't go back to the Unyielding Hierophant, Earth, or for that matter, any other colony of major or minor importance! With Maccabeus chasing us with his remaining twenty-one hundred ships, any minor colony will be completely annihilated, and any major colony will be discovered and reported back to High Charity, which opens the risk of a greater attack!"

"_What do you suggest, construct? We've no place left to go save for dead worlds, which, with their defenses fallen, will be a place for us to sit like good little ducklings for my uncle to hunt._" Cortana was going through several dozen scenarios in her head, a few numbers here and there repeating themselves with her new 'update'. She felt nervous, afraid, not knowing the solution to the present problem at hand. When they heard of Maccabeus's possibility of finding the evacuating ships with Halsey and the rest of the Spartans, the two decided to take the risk and drop the stealthily made mission for an open chance for the General to take the two. Effectively enough, the two vessels left safely, but they now had the strength of the Covenant leader of the Jiralhanae looming over them.

The numbers kept repeating, and in part giving in, Cortana shouted, "We'll go to a random location! I've already calculated a destination course through which Maccabeus will follow us! We'll have to make a series of jumps from there, and from there, we may have a chance at losing them!"

"I'm all for this plan, Chieftain Captain, it's better than no plan at all! Do you agree?" The AI was relieved that she had already sent to the Chieftain had not gone to waste when she heard him state soon after, "_Aye, it's the best chance we have. Send me the coordinates, construct, so we may leave the flames and death behind._"

"Already did! Preparing the jump in fifteen!" Those seconds were the longest she had ever lived, the intensity of being followed by what had been one of, if not _the_ largest armada the Covenant had ever produced. Soon enough, they were enveloped by the bright lilac foundation that belonged to the slip-space dimension. Hours passed, and the crew was no less tense when they dropped out than when they had entered slip-space. It was mostly empty, save for a star nearby that marked the center of a solar system. She casually scanned a gas giant nearby that was somewhat near their position. She paralyzed entirely when they came up closer, finding something particularly different from its dozen moons to be orbiting the great planet. Everyone sweat dropped, the first to snap out of the trance being the Separatist aboard his Assault Carrier. "_All Hells be damned. Captain Keyes, have I truly gone insane or am I seeing what I think that I am seeing?_"

"Honest to god, Captain Taurus, I couldn't tell you if I tried. Cortana, what is it that we're looking at?" Having gone from an agitated to a calm state for all the wrong reasons wrought dread in the AI, but she answered him nonetheless. "That, Captain… is a Halo."

**Author's Notes: I now officially shun you all for the non-believers you are. Did you really think I'd kill off the Rachni Queen just like that? I even hinted at the kill being a Brood Warrior by making one of the intruder's say something like 'She's smaller than the General made her out to be'. Other than that, ladies and gentlemen, I now present you the beginning of the end of the war. We're finally getting there, and once it's all over, we can make it to the great crossover with our beloved ME Universe. I hope you've enjoyed, and please do leave a review. They keep me young and strong and healthy.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


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